Fashions have come and gone, but Awapiri Merino Stud breeders Graham and Bev Black and their son Duncan have always stuck to their original aim—to breed a medium wool sheep suited for their environment.
Awapiri is situated in the Upper Awatere Valley in Marlborough. This part of the valley is hard country, renown for its extremes of hot and cold, drought, rain and snow. The back part of Awapiri drains into the Clarence River. Awapiri Station is particularly challenging as a large part of it is steep high country with difficult access as well as scrub and woody weed problems.
When Graham and Bev bought the leasehold property in 1966 it only had seven or eight acres of flat land. Bev’s father was very keen for the young couple to start their own stud which they established in 1975. In 1978 an adjacent 1040 acres of free hold land including 60 acres of arable flat was purchased giving the Blacks the scope to develop the stud into a commercial breeding enterprise.
The original 50 ewes came from Bev’s parents Arthur and Freda Urquhart of Erewhon Station down in Canterbury. Because Marlborough offered a much warmer climate with less harsh winters the ewes did much better on Awapiri than Erewhon so they were a great foundation to start the new stud on. A ram was purchased from ‘Lawloit’ Stud in Victoria Australia and also a half share was taken in another ram from ‘Hazeldean’ NSW, both of which were used as foundation sires.
Owing to the blue tongue disease outbreak in parts of Australia the stud was unable to acquire any further Australian genetics until the embargo was lifted in 1984. Since that time regular importations of both frozen semen and sires that complement the stud’s breeding objectives have been made.
“Arthur’s yardstick was the cut of wool and survival rate. It was real basic stuff and our aim has been the same—to get maximum production with sheep that survive and reproduce in our environment,” says Graham.
Lambing percentages are an important factor. One buyer of Awapiri AD flock ewes scanned 172% in 2009.
“We aim to breed sheep that give growers the best opportunity to utilize the potential diversity Merinos offer by producing a lot of top quality wool as well as a carcase and fertility suitable for top meat production.”
Over the years Awapiri has developed a reputation for long stapled, well defined, well crimped and heavy cutting 19 – 20.5 micron wool. This has been achieved by focusing on attributes such as skin texture, handle and comfort factor giving a product very suitable for ‘Icebreaker’ type contracts.
Awapiri stud has been very involved in the gene marker foot testing programme. It is now seeing well established productive outcomes in the reduction of footrot susceptibility in clients’ flocks as well as the home flock.
For some clients this means they are able to continue running merinos rather than having to change to another breed of sheep less prone to footrot.
Awapiri is also involved in current animal welfare issues. It supports the efforts being made to achieve a more acceptable alternative for the control of breech fly strike than methods that are causing industry concern at present.
“We understand the type of skin it takes to grow a quantity of quality wool. It is imperative that production is maintained at least at present levels - no grower can afford to take a cut in that. It would be easy to have sheep that are less susceptible to flystrike by breeding plain, flat skinned, light cutting animals that just wouldn’t achieve the productive criteria required.”
Graham’s breeding is designed to help commercial growers make a living. He believes it is always important to remember that stud breeding is really only the process of developing genetic material to enable commercial farmers to maintain productive, payable flocks of sheep in the environment that they are being run on. With this in mind the stud sheep are run and managed as much as possible along commercial lines as a hill country flock with all productive traits being fully recorded.
He is also a strong believer in the value of a select few sheep being managed as show sheep to see how perform. When sheep are fed under ideal conditions it gives them the opportunity to express their true genetic productive potential. Often when sheep are run under paddock or natural conditions there may be very little difference in their production levels e.g fleece weight, body weight etc.
But when they are given the best nutrition possible, quite large variations can occur expressing the difference in their genetic potential. Commercial growers need to know the productive potential of the genetics they are buying to be able to make the best choices for their individual environment and management practices.
Since 1978 Awapiri stud has performed well at the local Blenheim show and also at Christchurch show, often featuring in the winning line up with a number of ribbons, cups and medals to show for it.
In 1998 in response to client demand for finer micron wool Graham and Bev established a second stud called Excell. Semen and a ram from Tillba Tillba WA was imported and put to the finest of the Awapiri ewes. Excell is now breeding a true fine(18.5 micron) wool sheep with the size, constitution and lambing percentages principles similar to those applied to the Awapiri medium wool stud sheep.
Graham says being a stud breeder is immensely satisfying. “I am always looking forward to the next generation but I’d need another lifetime to create my vision.”
As a past president of the Stud Breeders Association and chairman of the 1998 World Merino conference he has come in contact with people from all over the world with many ideas, problems and solutions. He believes as with anything else you must have an open mind and adopt new ideas on their merit rather than on their appeal.
>> Click here for Awapiri stud breeder directory details
>> Click here for Excell stud breeder directory details
