NEWSLETTER NO. 100.
Again the year has raced by and the Christmas rush is on. At least in much of New Zealand the farmers and their families will be smiling as the grass keeps growing, wool prices are better than last year and works lambs are bundles of gold. Nice to think that even with the ever increasing costs that a little more of the cheques are ours. To the people around Nelson Takaka, nothing joyful about Christmas and the start of 2012 for you, just a lot of cleaning up.
With the World Cup win – oh that was a bit on the edge of your seat final game, the Elections held and the cricketers beating Australia in a test, things look good.
PROMOTION:
To all of you who advertised and contributed stories for the Rural News feature we thank you very much. For the ones of you that advertised we hope that you have had a response which has got you a new client.
WAIKATO ROYAL SHOW:
Again thank you to all who exhibited at the show and the Southdown’s certainly did the breed proud. Thank you to the Judges and also the Stewards and other helpers.
The Merial Class was won by Scott Innes from Warkworth, a reasonably new member.
The Supreme Champion was a Ram exhibited by John Wynyard and that Ram went on to become the Supreme sheep of the Show. The Miss Waikato Class which is for a Ewe Hogget had a very large entry and that was won by Sandra and Kevin Johnston from Pio Pio, again reasonably new members.
Other prizes were spread around so I would guess all the Southdown exhibitors went home pleased with their effort.
Please remember that the Royal is to be back at Waikato next year and the RAS has advised that the Canterbury show is their 150th and it will also be a Royal.
RAM SALES:
Please remember that if you sell a Stud Ram it is you as the Vendor to forward a fully completed Ram Registration form to the Office and we will forward a copy to the Purchaser.
EWE SALES:
Again we remind you that should you sell any Ewes you must ask the Purchaser if they wish to have them inspected and that must be carried out before they leave your property should the Purchaser ask for such.
For all Ewes that are purchased to start a new Southdown stud those Ewes must be inspected prior again before leaving your property.
To arrange an inspection please phone the Office and we will then promptly action the request.
PAYMENT OF ACCOUNT:
Thank you to the majority of you who pay your accounts within the current month. As you know we don’t carry a big bank balance and we rely on you for your prompt payments.
Southdown New Zealand ends the financial year on the 31st December and we don’t like to have over due accounts at balance date so again ask for your cooperation.
FEILDING STUD FAIR:
The sale was held on 14th December and there were 28 Rams .
1 was withdrawn, 11 were passed at the fall of the hammer and 16 were sold. The average was $2112.50 and the top price went to Willowhaugh 142/10, Lot 80, purchased by R.T.& J.M.McKenzie and S.W.Gray.
It was good to see commercial farmers paying up to $3000 for a Southdown Ram so it bodes well for the Canterbury sale on Thursday 12th January, 2012, with the Southdown sale commencing at 1.00 pm.
FLOCK BOOKS:
We have received an email from Andrew Loe , email address andrewl@otodc.govt.nz advising he has Flock Books 1947 to 1972 should any members require them. Please contact him direct on the email address.
Mr.Frank Badcock, Fairbank, P.O.Box 16, Hagley, Tasmania, 7292. Is asking for the following Flock Books:- Volumes, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,41,42 and 43. He says that he is happy to pay postage and a fair price. Again if any members can help with all or part of this request please make direct contact with Mr. Badcock. Sorry we don’t have an email address if he has such.
2012 SOUTHDOWN TOUR:
We have received from the Southland Club the following notice.
30th April – 3rd May, 2012 – Council will meet on the 30th and the Tour will start on the night of 30th and conclude on the 3rd May, 2012. The AGM will be on the 2nd and the area is Otago/Southland. The registrations and full details will be out in early March. This is just to give you the dates so you can plan your holidays around them.
FROM THE PEN OF THE PRESIDENT:
It is good to see New Zealand has had a fairly positive end to 2011 with the winning of the Rugby World Cup and the sheep industry; with lambs, mutton and wool all showing an increase in prices. Unfortunately we haven’t managed to make it right to the end without parts of the country experiencing yet another natural disaster; my thoughts are with the people of the areas devastated by the recent heavy rains.
We thank everyone who supported the Southdown feature in the Rural News; it was a good representation of the breed.
In October myself and Janet Gray went to Hamilton to judge the Southdowns at the Royal Show. Congratulations to Janet – if the quality of all the associate judges in the Southdown Society is of her calibre the breed is in good hands. Following this I flew to the Christchurch Show in November, well done to the exhibitors there was a good standard of sheep. Being able to attend these shows in each Island allowed me to see a good variation and standard of sheep.
Well done to the vendors at the Feilding Stud Fair, Christine has mentioned the averages earlier in the newsletter. Apologies for not being able to attend, Sally has her leg in a cast for 8 weeks and I have had to keep on top of the house work! The selling season has started off in an encouraging manner. Ike Williams “Waidale” on farm ram sale starting the season off well with an average of $850 across the board. “Merrydowns” on farm ram sale averaged $1224 across the board with 8 Southdowns passed. I wish the vendors well at Christchurch in January and to Todd and Fleur Anderson “Tralee” for their on farm ram sale in February.
I wish to sincerely thank Joanne and Christine for their support of and dedication to the Southdown Breed, they go out of their way to make new and existing members feel welcome and “nothing is ever a problem.” Thank you also to Rob Hall, Graham Calder and Donald Murray for their organisation of next year’s tour. Their enthusiasm and expertise is much appreciated and the tour should be an enjoyable one.
To finish with a quote I find thought provoking “There are those who seek to destroy and discredit you. Let them try, they can only make you stronger.”
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Kind Regards, Blair Robertson.
CONCLUSION:
Ram Registrations for Rams to be used as new Stud Sires – please send to Office.
Ewes starting new flocks must be inspected first before they leave the property of the vendor.
Southland Tour – more details will come out in March but remember it is from the 7th to 10th May, 2012.
We wish you and your families a happy Christmas and may 2012 be a kind, safe and prosperous year.
Joanne Pinfold & Christine Ramsay,
Secretaries.
19th December, 2011.
PS: We have received an email from PGG Wrightson, Morrinsville Store, saying that they have a number of Southdown Flock Books dating back to 1930. Should anyone be interested in some of all of these books please make direct contact with Nienke Smit email address nsmit@pggwrightson.co.nz
9th January, 2012.
