OUR STORY
Welcome to Gold Creek Simmentals, a family-owned and operated stud based in the hill country of Matawai, 45 kilometres north-west of Gisborne on New Zealand’s East Coast.
The Gold Creek Station has been in the Sanson family for three generations. Logan and Joan Sanson established the commercial cattle herd before Jim and Rachel Sanson expanded and developed the farming business into the operation it is today. The stud is now operated by Tom Sanson and Anna Boyd, who are proud to be raising the next generation alongside their young family.
Established in 2009, Gold Creek Simmentals was founded with a simple vision — to breed cattle that add genuine value to New Zealand’s beef industry. Since then, the stud has continued to grow through investment in leading New Zealand and Australian bloodlines, a commitment to objective performance recording, and an unwavering focus on continual improvement.
Today, Gold Creek is a specialist stud operation dedicated to breeding elite Simmental cattle for both commercial and stud breeders. While the business has evolved considerably over the years, the values remain the same — hard work, integrity, continual improvement and a genuine passion for breeding great cattle.
The Gold Creek name comes from the creek that winds through the centre of the property. Early settlers believed they had discovered gold, only to later discover iron pyrite. We’d like to think they were simply looking in the wrong place. For us, the real gold has always been the cattle.
THE LAND
Gold Creek is situated in the hill country of Matawai, 45 kilometres north-west of Gisborne on New Zealand’s East Coast. The property consists of medium to steep hill country with an annual rainfall of approximately 1,200 – 1,800mm. The predominately pumice and sandstone soils, together with areas of silty clay loam, provide an ideal environment for developing hardy, functional cattle.
Over the years, the farming business has steadily expanded. The purchase of Haunui Station (330 hectares) in 2002, followed by a neighbouring 420-hectare property along the Gold Creek in 2007, has allowed us to grow both the scale of the operation and our breeding programme.
Our cattle are developed under genuine commercial hill country conditions. They are expected to travel, forage and perform in the same environment faced by many of our clients. We believe this plays an important role in producing structurally sound, fertile and efficient cattle that are equipped to perform well beyond the sale ring.
For us, the land is more than the backdrop to our operation — it is an important part of the selection process. The environment rewards functionality, and the cattle reflect it.
THE OPERATION
Diversity is something we strive for in our business. In addition to our Simmental stud we run 150 unregistered pure Simmental cows. In 2019 we sold the bull calves as weaners with an average weight of 362kg. We also run a high-performing flock of 1500 facial eczema tolerant Coopworth ewes. We dock in excess of 150% on average and finish all lambs at around 20-21kg carcass weight. Lastly we hold 200 Red Deer breeding hinds, producing replacements for our herd of 300 velveting stags.
At present our ratio sits at 40:30:30 of cattle:sheep:deer. Our cattle are all run under commercial conditions in conjunction with the sheep and deer, and are expected to perform on the steep hill country to maintain a place in the herd. This means, for cows, we wean a calf every year.
THE OPERATION
Gold Creek Today
Gold Creek is one of New Zealand’s largest Simmental seedstock operations, running approximately 300 registered Simmental breeding females alongside a diversified commercial farming business.
Beyond the stud, the operation includes approximately 1,500 Coopworth ewes, 150 breeding hinds and 300 velvet stags, all run under genuine commercial farming conditions. This diversified system ensures every enterprise is expected to perform efficiently and profitably, with the same practical philosophy applied across the business.
Since the stud was established in 2009, we have continued to invest in leading New Zealand and Australian bloodlines while steadily increasing herd numbers. Greater scale has created greater selection pressure, enabling us to be increasingly selective in the cattle we retain and offer for sale.
Every mating, every selection decision and every investment is centred on one objective — to breed elite Simmental cattle that deliver long-term value for commercial and stud breeders alike.
Gold Creek at a Glance
- Established: 2009
- Location: Matawai, Gisborne, New Zealand
- Ownership: Third-generation Sanson family operation
- Stud Herd: Approximately 300 registered Simmental breeding females
- Black Simmental Herd: Approximately 70 registered breeding females
- Commercial Enterprises: 1,500 Coopworth ewes, 150 breeding hinds and 300 velvet stags
- Breeding Focus: Commercially relevant, performance-recorded Simmental cattle
- Genetic Investment: Leading New Zealand and Australian bloodlines
- Market: Commercial and stud breeders throughout New Zealand
The New Black
Gold Creek has invested heavily in developing one of New Zealand’s largest and most advanced Black Simmental programmes, with approximately 70 registered Black Simmental breeding females forming an important part of our stud.
Our move into Black Simmental was never about following fashion. It was about accessing world-class bloodlines that strengthen the traits we value most. Many of the world’s leading Black Simmental families offer exceptional maternal performance, calving ease and carcase quality – particularly marbling – while also being predominantly homozygous polled. Combined with the growth, structural soundness and hybrid vigour the Simmental breed is renowned for, this breeding direction provides an exciting opportunity for commercial and stud breeders alike.
The result is a modern Black Simmental that delivers the black coat colour many commercial producers prefer, together with the added benefits of polled genetics, outstanding maternal ability, easier calving and superior carcase performance — all without compromising the profitability and functionality that define the Gold Creek programme.
The Rissington Acquisition
In 2026, Gold Creek completed the acquisition of the renowned Rissington Simmental Stud, securing approximately 80 in-calf registered females, 70 rising one-year-old bulls and heifers, and two herd sires.
The acquisition represented far more than an increase in numbers. Rissington was one of New Zealand’s most respected and longest-established Simmental herds, built over decades of disciplined breeding and comprehensive performance recording. Rather than seeing this remarkable herd dispersed, our vision was to preserve and build upon one of the country’s most influential Simmental breeding programmes for future generations.
By incorporating these bloodlines into Gold Creek, we have added proven maternal strength, performance and depth to an already established programme. For our clients, the benefits are significant. The addition of the Rissington bloodlines increases the depth and diversity of our offering while preserving genetics that have made an important contribution to the New Zealand Simmental breed.
Combined with our continued investment in leading New Zealand and Australian bloodlines, the acquisition further strengthens our ability to breed functional, profitable cattle for both commercial and stud breeders. We are proud to continue the Rissington legacy while writing the next chapter of its story through Gold Creek.
OUR TEAM
The team at Gold Creek share a collective passion for the Simmental breed and for the vision we have for our operation.
Tom Sanson and Anna Boyd
Third Generation
Tom Sanson
After completing his education, Tom spent time working in Europe before coming home to New Zealand and working on a number of prominent East Coast sheep and beef stations. He returned to the family farm in 2008 in a management role, and in 2009 jumped at the opportunity to purchase a number of registered cows from various stud dispersals. From here Gold Creek Simmentals was established, and his journey as a stud breeder began.
Tom has a longstanding passion for genetics and the production gains they offer if used in the right manner. He enjoys the challenge of the end-to-end process – sire selection followed through to a calf being born, developing into a bull and being sold on to its new owner – and thrives on the many moving parts that play a role. Tom values the long-term relationships he builds with clients and the people behind the cattle. He is passionate about helping farmers unlock the production gains that can be achieved through the right genetics.
Anna Boyd
Anna Boyd was raised on Haldon Station in the Mackenzie Country – a 22,000-hectare station running sheep, cattle and deer. Her passion for cattle breeding started from a young age as she became increasingly involved with the running and recording of the Genepool Hereford stud. Anna holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and has previously worked for the Animal Genomics team at AgResearch and, more recently, for Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics as a Beef Genetics Operations Specialist.
It was during her time at Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics that Anna discovered her passion for supporting beef farmers to better understand genetics and make informed breeding decisions. She enjoys helping farmers interpret sale catalogues and select the right genetics for their cattle system and breeding objectives. Anna now works part-time for Gold Creek, helping on-farm, with data management and one-on-one client consults.
Together, Tom and Anna are very proud parents of two boys, Reeve and Mack, and Tom’s two girls, Eleanor and Abigail
Jim and Rachel Sanson
Second Generation
In his younger years, Jim became involved in the live capture of red deer. He and his wife, Rachel, later went on to build up a large herd which subsequently became the Sanson Red Deer Stud. They imported Deer genetics from England, in the form of semen and live deer. The deer were initially farmed in Onga Onga, Hawke’s Bay, before the couple returned to Gisborne and purchased Haunui Station in 2003.
On moving back closer to the family property, Jim and Rachel took over the commercial cow herd from his parents, Logan and Joan, and transitioned entirely to the Simmental breed. Over the years, they increased the herd size and production through the use of bulls purchased from top New Zealand studs. In 2007 they purchased Gold Creek Station.
Today, Jim serves as both a mentor and an active member of the Gold Creek team. Whether he’s in the deer shed, the cattle yards or tackling jobs around the farm, he remains a constant presence. Rachel is Gold Creek’s Administrative Manager and is well known by bull-buying clients and locals alike for her home-cooked catering at the annual bull sale. Together, their knowledge, hard work and unwavering support continue to play an important role in Gold Creek’s success.
Logan and Joan Sanson
First Generation
Originally from Kaipara Harbour near Helensville, Logan and Joan relocated to Gisborne in 1971 after purchasing Te Kohunga Station. It was here they first introduced the Simmental breed into their commercial operation, using artificial insemination (AI) to cross Simmental bulls over Hereford cows. Logan and Joan farmed these cattle in conjunction with a herd of Angus cows, and noticed the superior performance and production of the Simmental-Hereford cross animals right from the outset.
Logan passed in 2000, followed by Joan in 2024, both dearly missed here at Gold Creek.
