Like most parents, Doug and Jo Benson, Doben Park Shorthorns, hold dear to their sense of duty to family, to nurture and nourish and plan for the future.
This they did in 2016 when they acquired a small farm at Buln Buln East, where they hoped to fulfil a long-held dream of raising a Shorthorn herd.
It was also where the Bensons planned for their youngest to run the show, or at least be working busily.
But it wasn't so.
In a cruel twist Simon Benson, who harboured a passion to work the land, broke his leg the day the family moved in.
Three months later a clot developed in Simon's damaged leg and moved to his heart with fatal consequences.
"When Simon passed our world turned upside down," Doug said, the hurt still evident in a faltering voice.
"I always wanted to run a farm and breed Shorthorn cattle but I was a FIFO worker and busy.
"So it was something in the back of my mind that I might get to do one day down the track.
"This was to be Simon's thing.
"He had some personality issues and was always having trouble holding down a job but this farm came up just over the road from where my parents live and my eldest son said we should have a go at buying it.
"He said it could be Simon's to run, that it would be something he would enjoy without the pressure of other workplaces and we didn't take a lot of convincing to get things rolling.
"That's how it started, all keen and excited and we knew Simon had a love of animals and he was truly looking forward to this new chapter, as were the rest of the family.
"Then he passed.
"It was a shock, a real shock and it still hurts.
"At the time I did not know what to do.
"So we sat down as a family - me, my wife and our other son and we discussed whether it would be best to sell up and do something else or keep going and see where it took us.
"It's been a struggle, I won't lie.
"There are times when I look at something and think to myself Simon could do that.
"At other times I have to catch myself from calling out to Simon to get some little thing because I forget and then reality kicks in and I remember he's not there, so I go and do it myself.
"But we're still at it and knowing Simon's love of the farming life has kept us following our long-term plan.
"I know Simon would be very proud and happy with where the cattle business is today."
As they maintain faith with Simon's passion, the Bensons are more focused on growing the farm and cattle business for stud and trade cattle because he liked buying and selling.
The family business, now run by Doug and Jo, their son Sandy and his wife Steph along with their boys Sonny and Bobby, covers three properties, two of which are in Buln Buln East including country owned by the family since the 1950s and another block is at Nilma North on undulating red and grey soil, old timers call Blue Gum country.
Doben Park is working towards a straight Shorthorn herd but their line does include some crossbred females which are joined to Shorthorn bulls.
They selected Shorthorn as a preferred breed for numerous reasons, Mr Benson said, not the least of which was its fertility, calving ease, mothering, milking ability and docile nature.
"I truly like the Shorthorn," he said.
"Their quiet nature and the ease of calving and resistance to bloat and eye cancer make Shorthorns an easy-care breed and we're very happy with them.
"These qualities combine to produce more live and healthy calves and they have the ability to grow quickly.
"They finish on pasture or grain, produce high-yielding premium quality meat and they are suitable for the domestic and export markets."
Consumers find the meat appealing, he added.
He said the high marbling content in Shorthorn meat was a taste tempting lure to buyers shopping for meat with "superior eating qualities".
The Bensons have not limited themselves to any particular market but sell for cash flow and would like to run a small cropping operation on a rotational basis to assist with pasture enhancement.
"We also would like to be able to feed our steers to a slaughter weight," Mr Benson said.
"Our trade cattle are sold over the liveweight scales and background cattle are sold on AuctionsPlus.
"We've bought a few bulls over the years and some have come from Beef Week, some from private treaty and some stud sales.
"If we see a good bull which suits our needs, we try to buy him."
They made their Stock & Land Beef Week debut last year and Mr Benson said the Doben Park team was looking forward to its follow-up appearance.
At the 2020 renewal they offered 17 stud cows with calves at foot and another 20 in calf.
At the time the Doben Park operation consisted of 72 purebred and crossbred breeders and the numbers remain much the same.
He said the exposure through Stock & Land Beef Week helped promote Doben Park's reputation for well-bred and quiet Shorthorn cattle.
Doben Park will present six bulls during this year's Stock & Land Beef Week - two roans and a white aged 22-23 months - and three younger bulls aged 16 months with the same colour breakdown.
"We try to produce a bull which will suit the needs of the commercial cattleman, whether he is looking for improved carcase, milk in his replacement heifers, fertility or temperament," Mr Benson said.
"We try to breed a bull that's better than its sire.
"It's simply about trying to improve on what has been done before.
"It takes time and effort and there are stumbles along the way.
"But we keep going because it's what we do because that's what Simon would have done."
Alan Welburn
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
