UP GEORGE BONSMARAS

HISTORY

The stud was started 35 years ago, when Lawrence and Derek Ralfe bought a small Bonsmara herd from Rob Taylor in the Underberg district. The stud first started as the Kenriet Bonsmara stud in the Kokstad district and was later changed to Up George Bonsmaras when the farm Up George was bought from the original Rumevite Farms in the Elandslaagte area. The cattle then moved to Up George Farm in 1988. A group of well adapted, highly fertile and high producing Simmentaler/Afrikaner type cows were bought from the Rumevite Farms research institute and upgraded to basics which became the foundation of the Up George Bonsmara herd. Bulls from the Arcadia herd of Arthur De Villiers were bought to upgrade the basic females. Two herd sires which had a considerable impact were AGN-81 and AG92-97.