Horowhenua StarIncreasing numbers of beef cattle are coming to the annual Horowhenua AP&I Show, now just a month away.
A wide variety of the 19 breeds registered in New Zealand will be at the show, says Ōtaki beef farmer Lisa Berthold, head of the show’s beef section.
“It’s a great opportunity for the public to come and find out more about beef cattle,” she says. “When you drive around in the country you see mostly dairy cattle as beef farms are in the back blocks.”
It means few townies are familiar with beef cattle, which are raised for their meat and therefore more muscular than dairy cows.
“The numbers showing at Levin have been growing for the years and there is real interest among breeders,” Lisa says.
While they generally all know each other, there are not many chances like the show to meet up, so breeders make the most of the event to swap notes and socialise.
During the 2026 Wellington Anniversary weekend (January 17 and 18), visitors will be able to see Herefords, Scottish Highlands, Dexters, South Devons, Belgian Gallaways, and Charlolais, to name a few.
“They get judged on structure, per breed, and at the end of the show the winners go up against each other,” Lisa says. “There are two types of beef cattle: the standard beef, like the Hereford, and the special beef, like Scottish Highlands, which are much slower growing.”
Lisa herself is a beef farmer in the Ōtaki Gorge, farming Scottish Highland cattle (pictured). She regularly attends the Stratford and Dannevirke shows, as well as Levin.
After the judging is done on Saturday the public will be able to be near the stalls to see the various breeds and talk to the breeders, who come to Levin from around the lower North Island.
For more information about the show and entry fees, see levinapishow.co.nz
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