| 25 Gordon with stud sire Glacier Unique purchased in 2023 for $27,000. Combined sale with four different breeders Karen Phelps Well-established Hereford stud Pourakino Downs is preparing for its annual sale on 28 May. The Hauroko Valley Bull Sale, held near Lake Hauroka near Tuatapere, will see the stud join forces with Waiau Herefords, Pikoburn Angus and Wainuka South Devons to offer premium livestock to buyers. “If anyone’s looking for good genetics in the South Island it’s a combined sale with four different breeders so it’s a good opportunity to come and a look at what this corner of New Zealand is doing. It’s a unique selling arena,” says Callum McDonald, the PGG Wrightson stock agent facilitating the sale. He says the upcoming event has been gaining popularity, drawing an increasing number of buyers from across New Zealand. Pourakino Downs, run by Gordon ‘Gordy’ Shearing and his wife Lorraine, will be offering approximately 16 bulls at the sale. “This year’s line up from Pourakino Downs are good, fleshy, strong Hereford bulls that Gordy is renowned for. He knows what he likes and produces a top quality bull,” says Callum. Located between Riverton and Otautau in Western Southland, Pourakino Downs has built its reputation through careful genetic selection since its establishment in 1983, when it began with just ten cows. Through savvy investments in genetics from prestigious studs such as Waikaka Station, Waiau Hereford, Glacier Horned Herefords, Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords, Locharburn Herefords and Earnscleugh Station, it has grown to 70-80 cows. The stud continues to invest in top-tier genetics with its most recent acquisition being Glacier Unique, purchased for $28,000. Callum says this bull represents one of the highest-priced purchases of that year and possesses all the qualities Pourakino Downs seeks to enhance its herd. This purchase follows the addition of Locharburn Mort in 2019, which was the top-priced bull that year. Rather than relying solely on figures, Callum says that Gordy emphasises the importance of using his eye and experience when selecting genetics. This approach has proved successful, with Pourakino Downs producing exceptional animals such as Pourakino Downs Jasper, which was sold to Glacier Horned Herefords on the West Coast. Jasper’s semen was subsequently exported to Australia, resulting in progeny that have sold for premium prices and helped establish Pourakino Downs’ international reputation. Gordy and wife Lorraine run the farm themselves with no staff. Their operation also involves buying in around 200-250 calves each year and fattening the progeny. “With a wet spring it’s been pleasing to see how Gordy’s progeny have fattened, proof of how the MEAT & WOOL » Pourakino Downs Proud to be associated with Pourakino Downs genetics work in a commercial environment,” says Callum. He says the 2025 Hauroko Valley Bull Sale represents not only a great opportunity for farmers to get their hands on some great genetics but that it’s also a popular community event. “It’s a nice event for locals, drawing out of towners who get to see what a great place this is. It’s pretty isolated here, right on the edge of Fiordland and people come from far and wide – the West Coast, Otago, Southland and even a few North Islanders.”
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