About Us

A herd of cows standing along a riverbank with trees in the background.

Southern Star Rural, is owned and operated by Clayton and Sarah Maynard and family.  Based in Canowindra, NSW, is a family-owned operation dedicated to breeding Senepol and Angus cattle. With a focus on fertility and adaptability, the family has developed generations of Senepol and Angus cattle suited to thrive in all Australian conditions.

SSR Senepol cattle offer graziers a low-maintenance, heat-tolerant breed with strong maternal traits, while their Angus cattle are valued for their carcase quality, temperament, and all-round performance. Bulls are available year-round on the farm and at the Annual 5 Star Senepol Bull Sale in Rockhampton, held in 2025 on Monday, 22nd September.

A brown cow standing in a grassy field with a distant, blurred landscape in the background.

The Senepol Breed

A Tropical Adapted Bos Taurus Breed that are tough, adaptable, easy care cattle with superior heat tolerance and can survive under extremely harsh conditions.

  • Highly Polled

  • Good eye & skin pigmentation

  • Have a docile temperament

  • Reach puberty earlier than Bos Indicus breeds

  • Females are fertile, easy calving & have longevity

  • Bulls have a high libido, are fertile and aggressive breeders from a young age

  • Our Angus Senepol bulls add Hybrid Vigour through cross breeding

  • Angus characteristics in a Tropically Adapted black bull that is bred tough & resilient for harsh climates

  • Achieve maximum heterosis in F1 progeny due to out crossing

A large brown cow standing on dirt ground with other cows nearby, trees in the background.

Senepol Steer Records Daily Weight -4.6kg

A Senepol Angus cross steer recorded a whopping 4.6kg daily weight gain during the 2018 Callide Dawson Beef Carcase Competition, to be the highest mid-term weight gain in the competitions 37 year history.

The record still stands to day and the 24-month-old steer, one of three entered by Clayton and Sarah Maynard, Southern Star Rural, NSW, lead the pack from the 143 steers at the mid term weigh in.

Senepols lead the way, with the top four Senepol exhibits doing3.41kg/day on average, ahead of the overall competition average of 2.87kg/day.

Owner Clayton Maynard credited genetic selection as the secret to the steer's surprising success having been a middle of the range animal when he left for the competition.

"You need to benchmark yourself. We think we are doing a good job but until you enter a competition like this and get that feedback,I think that's vital for decision making down the track."

Source: Queensland Country Life

A brown cow standing in a field of tall, dry grass with a wooden fence in the background.

Senepol Heifers exported to Vietnam

Southern Star Rural partnered with the Vietnamese Government for a shipment of registered maiden Senepol heifers to breed bulls for the industry. Southern Star Rural was the single supplier of choice, as they qualified for the strict criteria due to being outside the Blue Tongue Zone, opening up a new market for them and their clients.