30/08/2026
Today we said goodbye to our sweet girl, SPS M18 Steggles Matilda — “Tilly” 💔
Tilly suffered an injury a couple of months ago and, despite everyone’s best efforts, she simply wasn’t able to heal. What made it even harder was knowing she was heavily in calf. Through everything, she held onto that pregnancy, and today, as we said our final goodbye, we had the privilege of saving her unborn bull calf via C-section.
So, in the middle of a pretty heartbreaking day, there was a little bit of hope!
Tilly leaves behind 15 registered progeny, plus one still pending, several embryos that are now so much more valuable to us, and a legacy that will be felt through our herd for many years to come.
Her progeny have shaped our stud, and we simply wouldn’t be where we are today without her influence.
Among them is Novae Tamagotchi, who won Champion Lightweight Led Steer, the MSA Eating Quality Award and first place for Carcasses from group of 3 steers at Ekka in 2023.
We have retained two full embryo sisters Novae Tesseract and Novae Tallahassee Lassie (who is due to calve herself any day now).
There’s Novae Parabellum “Harry”, our very first stud sale in 2021, and Novae Ultra Violet, who graced the front cover of Hot Spot in 2025. Novae Valar, Vandal, Uber Soldat, Vanguard and Viper were all sold privately last year, along with many other daughters, sons and genetics that continue Tilly’s influence.
She was a true matron of our herd — one of those cows whose value went far beyond what was written on a registration certificate. She bred, she raised, she contributed, and she left her mark.
We will miss her enormously.
But this evening, her little bull calf is alive and well, and we couldn’t ask for a better outcome from a day that started with such a difficult goodbye.
Our new Jersey girl, Dolly, has officially been put to work and she seems to have understood the assignment perfectly. It feels fitting that as we farewell one great matron, another girl has stepped up to help carry her legacy forward.
Rest easy, Tilly. Your job here is done — and you did it exceptionally well 💜