Rathdowney Blondes was started in 1986 by Bob and Corine Arkinstall with the purchase of one 7/8 heifer and four 3/4 cows from Aruma Stud near Oakey. The first purebred calves were born in December 1987 after an ET program on the 7/8 heifer “Aruma E01”. Another heifer was purchased from Aruma (Aruma G02) along with one from Constantia Stud in Victoria (Constantia Fedora) and Encounter Stud in SA (Encounter Alexis). The biggest purchase would be the importation from France of 2 heifers , Elise and Farine, in 1991. Their impact is still being felt in our herd, as well as many others throughout Australia.

In 2007, Rathdowney purchased 20 embryos from 5 Donor cows in France, and the first progeny were born November 2008. We also bought in Semen from Orion, who has sired a long list of high quality show winners, and whose semen supplies have been exhausted due to his popularity. We have since used Orion and Drop, in ET programs over our own dams. These calves were born May 2010.

1974: AI’d Blonde bulls over our dairy cows as part of a supply contract
1980: sold dairy herd, started looking for Blondes
1985: Ordered Blonde semen from DPI at Wacol (took 12 months + for delivery!!!!)
1986: Purchased cattle from Aruma Stud less than a week after the ad appeared in the paper
1987: Began 1st ET Program
1988: purchased heifer from Constantia
1990: purchased heifers from Encounter, Aruma, France
1991: 2 heifers from France arrive. Blondes begin showing at major shows. A bull we bred, now owned by Banya stud wins Grand Champion Blonde bull at Toowoomba Royal, Beef 91 and then the Brisbane Ekka.
1993: HalfMine stud starts with the purchase of Quirran-Lea Lotsa Lace
1995: 1st Entered Gympie Carcase Classic

1997: Join Breedplan, submit backdata from 1986 onwards
2005: Win Gympie Carcase Classic
2007: Import 20 embryos and 2 new sires from France
2009: complete our 37th ET program

2010: Establish a feed efficiency test station. Begin testing our young sires for feed efficiency.

Now, we have a significant number of purebred and graded up females. We have used Brahman, Angus and Murray Grey base dams for our breeding programs, and to breed crossbred cattle for carcase competitions and to supply high yielding carcases to our local butcher.

All up, we now have approximately 130 cows and heifers. This is comprised of approximately 80 purebred and 7/8 females with the balance being crossbred cattle.