76 | ON FARM » Heritage Ayrshires Handed down through three generations The Waikato stud traces its roots to 1957 when Clarry and Betty Gunson established the Clarabett Ayrshire Stud. Karen Phelps A passion for preserving one of New Zealand’s original English-style Ayrshire herds has been handed down through three generations of the Gunson family with Heritage Ayrshires continuing a breeding legacy that stretches back almost 70 years. The Waikato stud traces its roots to 1957 when Clarry and Betty Gunson moved to Ngāhinapōuri and established the Clarabett Ayrshire Stud. The herd remained under this name before Euan and Di Gunson purchased it from Euan’s parents, Graeme and Jenny, in 2015 when they began sharemilking, renaming it Heritage Ayrshires. Today the couple own the 110-hectare total/98ha effective farm after purchasing it in 2020. It remains a fully self-contained operation, running calves, heifers and bulls on-farm and milking the pedigree herd of 240 cows through an original 20-aside herringbone shed. “There’s a lot of family heritage here,” says Euan. “Dad and Pop built the cowshed when I was born. It’s now 45 years old and still works really well.” Although the registered stud consists predominantly of Ayrshires, the herd also includes four Brown Swiss cattle, reflecting another chapter of the family’s breeding history as Euan’s parents had a passion for this breed as well. “They are the most amazing cows, very majestic,” says Euan. “We’d love to have more but they are so expensive to buy so we are looking to build them up a bit over time. There are not many original Englishstyle Ayrshire herds remaining in New Zealand.” While the family has quietly developed its genetics over decades it has largely stayed out of the spotlight preferring to let the cattle speak for themselves. Now that work is beginning to reach a wider audience with Heritage Ayrshires aiming to establish its own bloodline/genetics, they are hoping to have something available in the next year or two. “Our Ayrshires are something a bit different and we want to give something back to the farming community by making the genetics available. We tell farmers they have to get some red in their shed because Ayrshires are the best foragers. They look after themselves so well and are strong-willed and hearty.” The family welcomes visitors interested in learning more about the breed. “We are always willing for people who are interested to come and have a look at the herd,” says Euan. The next chapter in the family story began on 1 June when Euan’s younger brother Kyle and his wife Rebecca became 50:50 sharemilkers on the property after progressing through the dairy industry. “It was a big challenge to get financially into a position where Kyle could come home because we’re only milking 240 cows,” explains Euan. “We all worked hard to make it happen because we wanted to keep the legacy going. Kyle is bringing a new outlook to the farm and taking things to the next level.” The change has also given Euan and Di more opportunity to step back from the day-to-day demands of farming. “We’re looking forward to having weekends off and spending more time with our family,” says Euan. “It’s hard to step away from something that means so much but Kyle and Rebecca are doing a great job. The aim has always been to carry on the family legacy.” We have over 10 years spreading experience in the Waikato, and are your trusted specialists in rural fertiliser application requirements. GET IN TOUCH 021 259 0955 accounts@pasturepro.co.nz
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