Business Rural North Winter 2021

46 | RURAL PEOPLE » Dandaloo Angus Stud Angus stud celebrates 60-year milestone Karen Phelps Stud Bull 9033, lot 8 in the Dandaloo Angus Stud Sale on June 9. Dandaloo Stud family Trish, Maggie, Angus, Isla , Barbara, Hamish and David. D andaloo Angus Stud is celebrating 60 years of consistent quality breeding. It’s quite a mile- stone for the stud that was started in 1961 by David and Barbara Thomson on a hill country property at Pirinoa, on the South Wairarapa Coast, with the purchase of three in-calf heifers from the Kahika stud of the Nilsson family in Hawkes Bay. Son Angus and wife Trish now run the stud, which they took over in 2013. “The succession plan was done quite late; Angus was in his late 20s,” says Trish. “We have definitely grown from what David started but always in a pro- active approach to sustain the original aim. Sheep and beef farming is the Dandaloo business. It’s shifted to 65% cattle and the rest sheep - so that’s a reversal in stock to how it began. And the Angus cattle stud is the focus. “Sustainable agriculture is the aim, it means not over stocking, over cultivating it etc. We haven’t diversified or become industrialised agriculture. You know what you can and can’t do to your land, what’s best for soil, stock and water. So it’s about reflecting and working for best practice, not the bottom dollar.” Over the decades Dandaloo has become known for producing easy doing bulls that have thickness and do well in diverse conditions as the farm expe- riences a range of weather conditions. This is partly because over the years the stud has shifted and grown. In 1979, the stud was shifted to Hinakura, east of Martinborough, on to a typical East Coast Papa Hill Country property. In 1995 a property on top of the Maungaraki Ranges, 30kms south of Masterton, was also purchased. Selling the Hinakura property enabled the succession plan to begin and David and Barbara to retire out of Greytown. Then, in 2008 more country was added to this property taking the farm to 420ha effective. From there land purchases have added to the current farm of just under 500ha. The farmis a limestone rolling to hilly property with a rainfall typical of South Eastern Wairarapa with big variations from year to year. The altitude is from 400 metres to 550 metres above sea level with snowfalls several times a year. The average rainfall is 1100ml. “On this rolling to steep limestone country, calves pick up a lot from their mothers, such as tempera- ment and ability to walk,” says David. “Chances are, if you have a toey cow she’ll have a toey calf and will be culled.” Dandaloo Stud produces bulls of bone and substance. These bulls will sire productive, fertile females that will in turn produce progeny that ap- peal and perform in the commercial market. In this respect the family says it is always very satisfying seeing commercial clients getting good results in the market place. The clients of Dandaloo Stud are consistently amongst the top local Weaner Fair results. “We have clients that have bought exclusively off Dandaloo for over 30 years,” says Trish, giving some indication of the high quality animals the stud is producing. And people will shortly have the opportunity to purchase. The Dandaloo Angus Stud sale will be held on Wednesday 9 th June, 12pm. The sale is on farm in the stud’s bull sale complex on Admiral Hill Road. Trish says that all enquiries and viewing of the sale bulls are welcome anytime and to just contact the family. Angus says that this year’s line up include two new bloodlines from bulls 1338 and Thor 559. 1338 was sold by Rangatira Stud in Gisborne for $100,000 and Dandaloo managed to get some of his semen. Thor 559 comes from the King Country and sold for around $40,000. Angus says they always seek to buy the best ge- netics and introduce the best bloodlines to produce the best for their valued and loyal clients. All bulls that will be offered for sale are blood tested and vaccinated for BVD. 10 in 1 vaccinations are completed and all bulls are semen and service tested. Dandaloo has sold a number of bulls to stud op- erations in the past including Turiroa, Kahurau, Pine Park, Red Oaks and Puketoi. While a few of their bulls sell for top money, most are sold in a very comfortable range of prices making it affordable for most farmers to get their hands on the best genet- ics Dandaloo offers to the market, says Trish. Angus says as his parents are now in their 80s so the stud birthday will be a real family milestone and celebration. “We thank everyone who has been involved with the business in the past 60 years,” he says. “Com- ing together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.We look forward to the future.” Angus & Trish Thomson 06 372 7065 | 902 Admiral Rd, Gladstone | DANDALOOSTUD.CO.NZ 60 years of consistent quality breeding Dandaloo prides itself with easy doing bulls, that have thickness and do well in diverse conditions On farm Bull Sale Auction 12pm, 9 th June South Wairarapa Veterinary Services wish Dandaloo Stud the very best for the future. We provide a full range of traditional veterinary services and treatments, along with herd health planning, herd fertility, and milk quality services. South Wairarapa Veterinary Services – Your premier animal health team Carterton Ph: 06 379 6767 | Featherston Ph: 06 308 9197 Martinborough Ph: 06 306 9311 | Masterton Ph: 06 377 0456