Page 13 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2018

choppers from South Pacific Helicopters. It was really, really
satisfying and we were grateful people made the effort to come
and buy our bulls under the circumstances,” James says.
“Every year for the bull sale we seem to have beautiful
weather, there was a frost and the bulls were all steaming, and
then the sun came out, it was unbelievable. People loved the
chopper ride; a few people even rang back and said it was the
highlight of their life.
“We appreciate our commercial buyers that stick by us year
in and year out.”
Matariki Hereford Stud was started in 1953 by James’s
parents, Jim and Ann Murray, with cows purchased from the
Mangatu Block in Gisborne that travelled across the straight
by boat. Their first sire was a bull called Glynn Park Batchelor,
who came from England in the uterus of a cow and was born in
New Zealand. “Jim bought him as a two-year-old and he was
a magnificent bull. He was a good starting point,” James says.
The family love the breed for their exceptional temperament,
kind nature and looks. “They just have a bit of character, and they
do a good job on our hill country. The bulls that are not in the sale
for the beef fellas are saleable for the dairy guys,” Jack says.
“Their constitution is awesome, they’re safe and moderate,
good cows and generally the temperament is great. They suit
our country.”

IRRIGATION KEY
James says their irrigated block, which has been under
irrigation for 20 years, is the heart of the operation and, as
things can dry off quickly, insures against drought.
The lease block near Ward complements the home farm
well and the two properties are run together. Seventy stud
cows and 1300 to 1400 ewes are at the lease property,
which has a different climate from Matariki and catches more
northerly and southerly rain, growing more grass and hanging
on a bit longer with its heavier, richer soils and limestone.
Matariki tends to dry out quicker, with mainly clay type
soil and three-quarters of the farm being south-facing.
Sheep are an important part of the operation and they
aim to finish everything. Weaning is in mid-December and
anything that doesn’t go on the truck to the works is put on
the irrigated block at Christmas.
Wool also plays its part and they aim to get both ewe
and lamb wool into a contact with Merino New Zealand.
Ewe wool is 25 to 27 microns, with an average clip of
5.5kg, and hogget wool is 22 to 24 microns. Fat lambs are
shorn before going to the works and that wool is also sold
on contract.

THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Lucy, Sam and Jack Murray
ready a bull for sale day; Matariki Holy Smoke has been an
influential bull for the Murrays, and was named in the top
10 influential sires in Australia; James (left) with his cousin,
Johnny Murray, from Woodbank Angus. The two studs have
held their annual on-farm sale together since 1997; Bulls
offered at the Murray family’s Matariki Hereford Stud on-farm
sale. Road closures following the Kaikoura earthquake meant
many buyers were flown in by helicopter for the sale.
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