Page 138 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2019 Edition

Our Breeders

A Southern story

WORDS STEPH DEW PHOTOGRAPHS STEPH DEW / SUPPLIED An attempt at a group photo at Macraes Mine.

WEATHER IN MAY IN THE SOUTH can throw anything at you. you get back on the bus, the catalogues for the next stop are
This year the start of the annual bull tour had us meeting in Gore handed out for you to study prior to arrival.
in pouring rain. As everyone arrived and loaded their overnight bag Started by a group of horned breeders, the tour was opened
and refreshments into the trailer the first job of the tour was already up about five years ago to include all members of the Southern
well underway; lining the bus floor with builders plastic so farm Districts Club. The reason for its inception was to provide an
boots could stay on for the duration. It was 7.15am and barely opportunity for breeders to view each other’s bulls prior to
daylight. As we piled into the bus we were mentally preparing the start of the southern sale circuit. The sales were originally
ourselves for the big day ahead, and of course, the banter had spread over two to three weeks but when they were condensed
already begun. to one week it made it difficult for breeders to get to all of them.
In the long and colourful history of the annual bull tour, I was It is organised for the week prior to the southern circuit and is
the first female to go on it. Under the guise of needing to attend two big days of travelling as far south as Waiau Stud in Lillburn
for research purposes while writing this article, I was secretly quite Valley and north to Seadowns in Oamaru; and seeing every
excited to get the chance to join in. My plan was to keep a low landscape imaginable in between.
profile in the hope my presence wouldn’t cause the usual antics About 30 years ago the first bus trip headed off with Joe
or conversation to be watered down too much. As club secretary Benson, an employee of Laurie Paterson’s, at the wheel. Aboard
it is always a great source of amusement to me when I email the bus were the likes of Colin King, Bill Holmes, Stuart Baird,
members to ask who is interested in attending the tour each year, Doug Landels and Jock McKenzie. Some of the others who were
that within the next 24 hours I am bombarded with replies. This with them are still staunch regulars on the trip, such as Gordon
is in stark contrast to the usual hit and miss feedback I get from Shearing, Geof Brown, and Alistair Campbell. Now the next
other club correspondence. Some members only appear out of generation is happily joining in, with the younger ones likes Ross
the woodwork once a year for this particular event. Paterson and Duncan Campbell being regaled with legendary
A quick stop to pick up the lunches from the caterers and we stories and traditions from past years. From false teeth being
headed to our first farm. Marc Robertson had done the itinerary lost, the eldest tour member always being referred to as the
and had everything booked and organised for this all-inclusive Head Shepherd, the nicknames given to people’s farms such as
trip. He also put his hand up to drive the bus and spent the next Pneumonia Gully and Pleurisy Point, or Colin King’s only luggage
couple of days working to keep everything on time. It was a very being a whisky suitcase containing two crystal glasses, a bottle
tight schedule that must be kept to, otherwise at the end of the of whisky and a bottle of water. A bottle of water could last a
day you will be trying to view someone’s cattle in the dark. very long time but a bottle of whisky never did. In those days
Duncraigen was our first stop and we were greeted with you wouldn’t want to be one of the farms visited from lunchtime
snow covering the ground. You can always guarantee a good onwards, as chances are there probably wasn’t much point.
snowfall in May and no one was complaining, as they’d rather When we arrived at Waiau at 10.30am on the first morning it
have it then than during sale week. We pull up to the gate and wasn’t whisky on offer but cups of tea and coffee. I have to say I
the bulls are there ready and waiting for us. The rules of the wouldn’t normally have a pie for morning tea but on a cold morning
tour are that you have to go on the tour if you want your bulls it really hit the spot. Others, like Andy Denham who had been up
to be visited. Participants are sometimes collected along the since 2.45am to make the drive down to Gore to meet the bus,
way if their farms are visited on the first day. The bulls must were well and truly ready for something substantial. Another great
be rounded up and penned somewhere close by and easily thing I discovered about the tour was how you were often greeted
accessible for the bus. Each stop is only 20 minutes and when by the whole family when you arrived at a farm. It was great to see

Seadowns bulls looking content wallowing in feed.

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