Southdown Sheep Society, NZ

Southbridge sheep breeder Andrew Christey can vividly remember taking over the family’s Mapua Southdown stud on a day of mixed feelings.

Southbridge breeder Andrew Christey with the winner in the Southdown Ewe Hogget and All Breeds Miss Canterbury classes at last year’s Canterbury A&P Show.

In between the excitement of he and wife, Louise, carrying on a family tradition was the financial reality.

His father, the late Leo Christey, started the stud with brother, Edward, in 1959 as part of a farm partnership.

With a flock number of 3656, Mapua is the 10th-oldest stud listed in the flock book.

During the 1970s it was transferred into the name of his parents, including mother Leonie who took a keen interest in sheep breeding. In 2007 they took on half the stud.

“The other half was sold to Blair Robertson, who is a well-known stud breeder. Little did I know just how much that half was going to cost me, to be fair. I just said: I will pay what he’s paying and then the bill came in.”

With two children under 5 years, Mark and Sarah, they were keen to carry on the family progression.

Like his parents, they attended the Ellesmere, Christchurch, Oxford, Amberley and Banks Peninsula A&P shows and other events around the country.

The thrill of winning a ribbon in the competitive show ring and the camaraderie among stud breeders was never lost on them.

So there were no regrets about taking on the stud, but its cost was not without financial pain.

“I had just bought the parents out of the farm so I had a few debts on and I think it was something like $40,000 or $50,000 for the stud so it was a little bit more than anticipated. But it was something we could all do as a family and the shows were always a busman’s holiday for us and both kids have grown up liking, enjoying and being a big part of the stud.”

Helping ease the pain somewhat was the sale of Mapua 229/06 for $6400 a year later to Andrew and Tracey Powdrell, who had bought their rams and ram lambs for 30-plus years.

Greendale’s John Clarkson has been a regular buyer for 40 years.

Among other highlights, including winning many show trophies and ribbons, was selling 169/21 to Clifton Downs breeder Chris Medlicott for $6000 in 2022.

On the flipside, the Christeys bought a $13,000 ram in partnership from the Willowhaugh stud about 10 years ago and more lately Clifton Downs bloodlines.

Sarah Christey competing in the youth classes at last year’s Canterbury A&P Show. 

Each year they sell about 30 two-tooth rams and the same number of ram lambs privately, often through stock agents.

The stud flock of 140 breeding ewes mother about 200 lambs at a 160% to 170% lambing percentage.

Some 40 to 50 of the top ewe lambs are retained, as Mr Christey prefers to replace older animals failing to meet high performance standards with younger ewes.

Southdowns are crossed with their commercial flock of about 230 Romney crossbred ewes as their early maturing lambs appearing in late July/early August go off the farm in late November and start of December.

This frees up a busy farming system so they can shut up paddocks, usually for Wattie’s — although the local factory has just closed — and small seed crops.

The commercial flock once numbered 800 crossbreds, but a smaller base is needed to fit in dairy grazing, weaner pigs produced from outdoor sows and a cropping mix of small seeds, wheat and barley.

On an intensively run 110 hectares, wheat and barley are fed to the pigs with straw from these crops and grass seeds going to dairy cows in the winter. Oats and grass are fed out to the sheep in winter and they are then lambed in grass seed paddocks.

Mr Christey said he had always been fond of Southdowns because they were “meaty” animals with a high-yielding frame producing tasty meat.

He prides himself on breeding sheep with good feet and a sturdy body structure that will not let down their buyers.

Many of their rams and ram lambs are sold to hill country farmers in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.

The Christeys’ operation is among seven studs opening their gates on a stud tour by breeders as part of the Southdown Sheep Society’s four-day centenary celebrations this week.

The Christeys’ connection with the breed was likely to continue: Mr Christey said the family was competitive, enjoyed selling and showing stud animals and sheep breeding was the one thing they all agreed on.

Mark, 25, has spent a lot of time overseas the past five years including planting and harvesting seed in Western Australia.

Sarah, 23, enjoys stud recording and works with her father taking three weeks off work to carry this out, and tagging, for Mapua at lambing.

Their son is keen to carry on the farm and they are working out the best way to do this as they do not want either of them to go through the same big bill pressure they did. The plan is for Sarah to have her own stud on the farm.

By Tim Cronshaw ODT Rural Life

Dessert with a side of Southdown, anyone?

An elite ewe auction is one of the highlights of this week’s Southdown sheep tour in Canterbury, celebrating 100 years of the Southdown Sheep Society of New Zealand.

The auction will be held on Wednesday evening in conjunction with a tour dinner at the Benvenue Hotel in Timaru and also utilising the Bidr online auction platform.

To be held between the main course and dessert, the auction will comprise ewes given by the Wiri, Merrydowns, Omihi, Riverside and Clifton Downs studs and all proceeds will go to the society’s promotional fund.

The tour begins today with a council meeting and annual meeting in Christchurch. Tomorrow, there will be visits to the Flockton stud of John and Melissa Jebson and the Longlee stud of Sam and Anne Hughes.

These will be followed by a visit to Riccarton House, the original home of the Kirkstyle Southdown flock — the first registered Southdown stud in New Zealand, founded by John Deans in 1863.

After lunch at the Makikihi Country Hotel in South Canterbury on Wednesday — voted best South Island rural hotel last year — the tour will head to Chris and Shelley Medlicott’s Clifton Downs stud, followed by John and Macaulay’s Tahrua stud.

It wraps up on Thursday with a visit to three studs — Stuart Brannigan (Musburg), Christey family (Mapua) and Brent Macaulay (Maclaka) — plus a large-scale dairy farm milking about 4800 cows.

The Southdown originated in the United Kingdom and is the oldest of the terminal sire breeds, originating from the native sheep which roamed the South Downs in the south of England for hundreds of years.

The Southdown Sheep Society was formed in 1926 after becoming strong enough in its own right to move away from the Sheepbreeders Association where it had been a founding breed.

The number of Southdown studs peaked in the late 1950s and early 1960s — up to about 1800 — and today there are 46 registered flocks.

In those 100 years, the society has only had three secretaries, including long serving incumbent Christine Ramsay. Chris Medlicott, who farms at Hook, near Waimate, is president, while Don Murray of Waitahuna, is chairman of the centennial organising committee.

Tongan farm worker Lave Masila, with his boss, South Canterbury Southdown stud breeder Chris Medlicott, at the NZ Agricultural Show in Christchurch in November. was founded in 1956 by Chris’ late father Bill, when he left school, and grandfather Jack.

Both shared a passion for the prime lamb industry and they started a stud because they could not buy rams with the conformation they wanted.

Their stockmanship has been handed on to successive generations, both Chris and his son Miles, who is a livestock representative for Anzco Foods.

And they have also shared their knowledge; young farm worker Lave Masila knew nothing about sheep when he landed in New Zealand from Tonga.

Now a key figure in the Medlicott’s farming operation, he had become part of their family and Chris has helped him to establish his own Southdown stud.

Mr Medlicott said the best part of the breed was the people: those involved in the breed were committed, passionate breeders who were trying to keep it relevant to the times.

It was a purebred breed which had stood the test of time and been able to adapt to market-led changes. “I just think they are extremely efficient and have never let me down,” he said.

The family has an on-farm ram sale and sell about 70 rams per year, from East Otago to North Canterbury and also into the North Island. It had been a great year and it was good to see the confidence in the sheep industry, he said.

Written by Sally Rae – ODT Rural Life

For those looking to see the ewes being auctioned at the tour please visit the following link.

BIDR Auction  – Southdown Centenary Celebrations Elite Ewe Auction >>

All proceeds are gifted to the New Zealand Southdown Sheep Society promotional fund. Our thanks to the generosity of these five breeders from throughout New Zealand, Bidr and Sam Murphy and Bruce Orr our in room Auctioneer.

This year the Southdown Society is undertaing the annual tour and celebrating 100 years for the Southdown Sheep Society.

The tour programme, registration links and the chance to purchase celebratory clothing and merchandise lniks can all be found on our events page.

The tour is almost full and the closing dsate to order merchandise is only a few days away too. Get sorted now!

From a Southdown Australia Promotion

When West Gippsland producer Ben Hatch first encountered Southdowns, he was working the sheds as a young shearer. After more than two decades working as a contract shearer across the country and handling every breed imaginable, one continued to stand out above the rest.

“What got me into Southdowns was my time as a shearing contractor,” Mr Hatch said.

“I was seeing a lot of different sheep and a lot of different operations, and the ones that kept stacking up were the Southdown cross lambs. They were consistent, easy lambing, and always finished well.”

Today, Mr Hatch runs Southdowns, alongside 900 Nudie Shedders and 400 Coopworth ewes on his West Gippsland property. Despite the region’s variable seasons, he said the Southdown’s ability to thrive under pressure has proven invaluable.

“In a good season everything looks good,” he said. “But when things tighten up, the Southdown lambs keep their bloom. You’ve still got a premium-grade product when others start to fade.”

Mr Hatch said the breed’s consistency was another major advantage.

“The bottom end of the sheep are a lot closer to the top end compared to other breeds,” he said.

“It’s not necessarily about the highest growth or marbling. It’s about the evenness across the mob. You don’t have the tail end dragging the average down.”

He said Southdowns are well suited to a range of ewe types and management systems.

“People use them over maidens or older ewes for their ease of lambing, but plenty are running them over their whole flock,” he said. “They just work.”

“The reason they’re so consistent is because they’re such a long-established breed with a stable gene pool,” he said.

“Other breeds like Poll Dorsets or White Suffolks are relatively new, so you tend to get more variation. The Southdowns put their stamp on their offspring.”

12-month old Southdown Stud Rams. Pic: Supplied

According to Southdown Australia, the breed’s roots in the national flock stretch back more than two centuries. Reverend Samuel Marsden first imported Southdowns to Australia in 1793, making them one of the earliest British breeds established locally.

Since then, Southdowns have been more of a quiet achiever in shaping Australia’s prime lamb industry. Their genetics have been used widely across the country to produce lambs with excellent muscling, even fat coverage and superior eating quality traits that continue to attract strong demand in domestic and international markets.

Tim Fincham, of Fincham Burando Southdowns in Yea, Victoria, said the modern Southdown remains true to its original purpose – producing quality, market-ready lambs.

“Mature rams often exceed 100 kilograms, while 15-month-old rams typically weigh anything from 90 kilograms,” Mr Fincham said.

“It is important to bear in mind that the main object of breeding Southdowns is to provide the best sire for crossing with other breeds to produce the ideal prime lamb.

“The sheep desired is one with a maximum of meat with sufficient, but no waste fat and attention paid to keeping the weight on the more valuable cuts,” he added.

Southdown crossbred lambs.The breed’s focus remains on producing lambs with the right balance of meat and fat, presenting well to the trade and delivering consistency on the hook.

For producers like Mr Hatch, the Southdown’s reliability makes it a practical choice for commercial and stud enterprises alike.

“Southdowns are easy birthing, easy finishing and highly marketable,” he said.

“They’re consistent, they’re proven, and they just get the job done.”

For more information, head to the Southdown Australia website: http://www.southdownaustralia.com.au/

Life is for living … Rob Hall laughs he is a ‘‘jack of all trades, master of none’’. He has been nominated for his commitment and mentorship of young people in stock breeding and showing. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON

Waikaia cattle breeder and community stalwart Rob Hall’s nomination as a Rural Champion comes for his lifelong dedication to livestock breeding and service to the agricultural sector and community.

Rob, who runs Hall Genetics Ltd with wife Lynne, has spent decades building up the respected Lilliesleaf studs of Angus, Galloway and belted Galloway cattle, Southdown sheep and, more recently, Clydesdale horses. Their animals have earned accolades across Southland, Otago and Canterbury A&P shows, including numerous supreme champion beef and sheep meat and wool cups and best in show awards.

Despite selling their larger Waikaka farm five years ago, the couple continue to farm on a smaller scale with leased ground and grazing arrangements, while they continue to search for their next block of land.

Rob is heavily involved in breeder groups and the A&P show movement, serving as beef convener of the Gore A&P, Southland A&P and Central Otago A&P Shows. He is chairman of the southern district of the Royal A&P Society of New Zealand. He is also a regular steward and judge in the beef, sheep and equestrian sections at shows, sharing his expertise across the North and South Islands.

Passionate about bringing on the next generation, Rob has mentored many young people in the art of cattle and sheep showing over the last 35 years. From breeding and husbandry to preparing and parading in the ring, he provides hands-on opportunities for youth to learn and succeed in their fields of interest. Many of those he has guided have gone on to establish studs and businesses of their own, which he sees as the biggest reward.

This ethos of hard work and responsibility was instilled early by his late father.

“We had the opportunity to work, save and buy our own stock. At the time it felt tough, but it built a strong work ethic,” he said.

He now applies the same approach with the young people he mentors.

“If you don’t set a standard of expectation from the start, they’ll never rise to the occasion.”

Alongside his agricultural passions, Rob works fulltime as the general manager of funeral homes in the Southland and Otago region.

He sees his job not as a sombre duty but “a privilege and honour,” with the opportunity to celebrate the beauty of a loved one’s life.

Music and theatre also play a big part in Rob’s busy life — “Music is food for the soul,” he said.

Having a tenor voice, he says, “It’s my winter sport, and if I can enjoy myself, and work with others towards a performance, as well as bring joy to others, the time and effort is worth it.”

Rob has been involved in various choirs and taken on various lead roles in musical productions around Otago and Southland.

Lynne, meanwhile, serves as the minister of the local Knapdale Waikaka Presbyterian parish.

“A big part of what makes us tick is our faith in God. What He has blessed us with comes from that passion instilled in our hearts.”

Both Rob and Lynne are involved with local schools, teaching bible classes in schools and helping out with school events such as sports days.

Recently the couple hosted the World Galloway Congress, welcoming international visitors and showcasing true Southland hospitality, complete with cattle displays, a woolshed meal and a haggis ceremony.

Rob downplays his achievements, joking that he is “a jack of all trades, master of none. This [award nomination] is all a bit unnecessary,” he said.

“I just think we’re here on this earth for a short time and life’s for living — you’ve just got to get out there and throw yourself into it,” he said.

Story from Rural Life by Alice Scott.

Note: Rob ‘;s Southdown flock is Hall Genetics and he is President of the Southland Southdown Breeders Club.

Congratulations to Mr Graeme Hooper of Clear Hills who has been presented with Life Membership of Southdown Australia by President James Knight.

Many breeders in NZ will have met and discussed Southdowns with Graeme when he has regularly visited our ram fairs and other occasions or caught up with him in Victoria. The family stud was first founded in 1928 and Graeme was the second generation and now has a son and grandschildren set to follow in his footsteps. You can read more about them here

The NZ Southdown Society Flock Book for 2024 has been published and non-members and interested visitors  can view it online here

Group photo from Southdown Tour 2024 – click image for close-up

The Manwatu and Wairarapa Southdown Tour and AGM began at Palmerston North on the 6^th May, 2024 with the late afternoon AGM and then a dinner at the Copthorne Hotel.

On Tuesday 7^th May, we boarded a bus with  14 to start with and over the two day added a further two.  We left Palmerston North on a fine morning and went to Silverdale Stud – Diane and Janet Gray’s at Rongotea. We looked over a very good line of Stud sheep.  From there we then headed south towards Levin and looked at the Stud Flock of Cory Prouting. Again a very good line up of Stud Sheep, and also in the cattle yards some very good Hereford Cows.

Leaving there we headed back to  Massey University and had a very delicious lunch at Wharerata then onto the Massey Veterinary School and went through the large animal section with a very good female lecturer telling us about what is done as it is the Vet training section.  Leaving there it was over the Pahiatua track and onto the Wairarapa desert and arrived at Solway Park Hotel Masterton.

The following morning Wednesday 2^nd May  and a good frost we again got onto the bus and went North East to Rob and Lucy Thorneycroft. Beautiful Autumn tones of the trees and the grape vines  and oh the country so dry.  We were welcomed by Lucy and and then able to look over their Stud. Great how good Southdown’s handle the dry conditions.  Another very good flock and they had some of their Stud Angus sale Bulls for the experts to walk through and comment on.  The Bulls were big strong animals and very quiet.

We waved them good-bye and headed south to Jill Baird’s Wiri flock.  Again a different line of very good sheep that were handling the very dry conditions well.

After Jill’s we went to the Gladstone Inn and after that we heading back to Solway and farewelled 8 of our group who climbed onto a mini bus that took them to Wellington to catch flights South.  The others of us came back to Palmerston North by car and farewelled each other there.

Even though there was not a large number on the Tour it was still a very happy gathering and as always hosts seem to think Southdown breeders are hungry and provide such nice food along the way.  Like the Southdown sheep we saw at the four studs we all went home in good condition.

To all who attended we thank Jill and Janet for  arranging and hosting the tour.

Charlee Hazlett and Ellavetta – “not only adorable, but entrepreneurial’’

Sometimes a sweet little story deserves big-time treatment.

So it proved with one of the most striking murals to emerge from this month’s South Sea Spray street art festival in Winton.

SwiftMantis (Mikal Carter) of Palmerston North, who in late 2022 painted the celebrated Strangs cat on Invercargill’s Esk St WEA building, has this time turned his talents to the story of young Charlee Hazlett and Ellavetta.

Charlee was just 4 when she and her little sister Greer were gifted pet lambs.

Seeing herself up there on the wall – “it’s really cool’’, Charlee said.

She was also impressed that SwiftMantis managed to get Ellavetta’s wool just right.

“I go to St Thomas Aquinas in Winton and my class has just walked around all the paintings,’’ she said.

When they got to hers – “they really liked it’’.

Central Southland College principal Grant Dick said the project stood as a reminder of the community spirit and the importance of nurturing shared spaces.

“The incredible talent and creativity of the artists involved have not only brought beauty and vibrancy to our surroundings, but have also sparked a sense of pride amongst us all,’’ he said.

“I believe the breathtaking murals will become part of Winton’s identity and will have a lasting impact on our community.’’

Charlee Hazlett and lamb, Ellavetta in front of the mural in Winton.