Rio Pico stud is a family business, owned by the Gonzalo family, who live and work on the farm. The farm is dedicated to Merino sheep breeding and also Hereford and Poll Hereford cattle. All our animals are bred on extensive grazing land systems. Situated about 250 km from Esquel city, in the rolling foothill region of the Andes Mountains, where the average yearly rainfall is about 400mm to 500mm, depending of the season. The amount of snow reach a meter deep each winter, and the average temperature is about 6 C, with extremes of -35C (-91F) in winter, and 30C in summer. The ‘summer country’ or “la veranada” (from “verano”, ‘Summer’ in Spanish), at a slightly higher level -1100 meters above sea level-, makes 65% of our land. The remaining 35% is the lower winter grazing land, “la invernada” (from invierno–winter), 650 metres above sea level.

In the year 2000 we were proud to be the first ranch declared as free of cattle brucellosis and tuberculosis in the entire Patagonian region.

We begun our Pedigree stud around 1970 with cows bought from several studs around the Province of Buenos Aires. At the same time we purchased bulls at the Palermo Agricultural Show from some of the most prestigious Argentinian studs, such as San Juan de Pereira, Don Benjamin, Las Lilas, La Legua, Tuyuti, La Paz of Wertein, etc. Our breeding was reinforced with semen from the highest Argentinan genetic level from renown centers like Ciale, Las Lilas, Clia, Ciado, La Legua, Genetica Global.  We also applied those genetics to a Registered mob by the Hereford Argentinean Association. In 2007 we commenced an Embryo Transfer program.

The Stud owner. Julian Gonzalo, has not missed an agricultural show since the first Esquel Show. His bulls or rams have been showed at the followings shows: Esquel, Sarmiento, Comodoro Rivadavia and, most recently, Perito Moreno, where Rio Pico Stud was awarded first prize and obtained the highest selling price ever.

We maintain detailed records for all our animals, which includes born weight, wining weight, final weight, and serving capacity test of all the bulls. That information plus working together with The Argentinian Hereford Association, allows us to get an index for comparison with other studs on different regions of the country.

In 2006, we started an Aberdeen Angus embryo transfer program that aims to start an Aberdeen Angus pedigree stud.

Our Merino Stud was commenced at the same time as the Hereford stud, around 1970. For this, we bought pedigree ewes from first line studs such as Leleque and Kaquel, and supreme rams from different studs, which continues to date.

We also do intensive artificial insemination using Australian semen, using the laparoscopy technique.  In 1988 we imported our first ram from Australia, a Poll and a Merino Ram from Old Ashrose Stud, from which we started our poll stud.

In 2005 we imported 3 Horned Merino rams and one Poll Merino ram from Langdene, Kolindale, Kingussie y Roxana (Australian Studs).In 2007 once again, we imported two rams from Australia -one Poll and one Horned- both from Langdene Stud. Our genetic and productive goal is to increase body weight, fleece weight and reduce micron on our wool.Our flock average from 100% of shawn animals on the last five years is 5.1 kg (11-12 lbs) of wool per head, with an average diameter of 19.6 microns. During the year we sell 25 kg wethers and 21.5 kg ewes.We have an AI program of about 2000 and 2500 ewes per year using fresh semen. This results in us having rams and ewes both for sale and for reposition for our stock and AI program.In 2004 we started to work on our stud with the  Provino avanzado program, which allows us to obtain different indexes to improve our flock. We show annually at the Esquel Comodoro Rivadavia, and Perito Moreno Shows, where we have obtained the highest prize on different years.