Ask the studmasters of Lauder Stud about the quality of their merino stud stock, and they’ll point to the performance of their commercial flock.
New England Wool in Sydney, which purchases high quality superfine merino for two of Italy’s most highly respected high end suiting fabric manufactuers, rates Lauder as “one of the best.”
“The inclusion of New Zealand wools in our batches of predominantly Australian-sourced blends allows our Italian manufacturers to achieve major processing advantages along with improved quality attributes in the finished fabric. Indeed, there is no where else in the world that we can source the type of wool that grows in the highlands of the South Island to achieve these benefits. Lauder Station is one of our best suppliers of this high quality superfine wool,” says Managing Director Andrew Blanch.
Lauder Stud was formerly Whitnow Stud--so named after Mt Whitnow station the Calder family owned in North Canterbury before they relocated to Lauder in Central Otago 14 years ago.
Grant and Robyn Calder and their son Robert are very proud of the traditional, fine crimped, dense stapled, stylish wool that is processed into fabric by Successori Reda and Vitale Barberis Canonico.
Robyn explains when they relocated to Lauder, they brought a small merino stud with them. To build it quickly, they bought the best possible ewes from Malvern Downs. They also purchased stud stock from Rockbank in Australia and Forest Plains in Darfield (now part of Black Forest).
The Calders work as a team and are all driving in one direction.
Robert explains: “We are trying to produce a real super spinners type wool on the biggest frame sheep we can. It’s a matter of economics. With the cost of producing wool, you need to produce spinners type wool that is going to give you a premium price.”
Within the stud there is an ultra fine nucleus. But the Calders don’t get carried away chasing fine micron.
“We don’t just look at one aspect of the sheep. It’s the whole package. The confirmation could be wrong or it might be rubbishy wool. We have a butcher’s knife about three feet long and Robert uses it a lot,” says Grant.
Showing is another way to ensure confirmation is not compromised. The Calders regularly compete at the two big merino shows – Wanaka and Christchurch. They also support their local Omakau show.
“We need to encourage people to assess sheep with their eyes and not the scales. The sheep has got to be structurally sound with a neck and head they can lift up and see where they are going and hocks under them to climb. They need good feet too. The fahsion values will never change,” says Grant.
Lauder has a list of private buyers waiting for stud rams. They also sell at the Wanaka ram sale.
“We are selling to hill high country. We are selling to medium hill country. Pretty much across the board. We have one client that kills his hoggets at ten months old. He’s only able to do that because they are early maturing with the size and weight to be killed then.
“We also sell rams to places that buy rams from three different studs. We get the opportunity to see what they are doing. That’s very rewarding.”
The Calders predict demand for Lauder stud stock will grow as consumer demand increases for products produced with non-museled wool.
“Ours are uncomplicated sheep. They are not heavy heavy wrinkle sheep. As the museling issue gets bigger, we are going to get more people come to us because we never have fly trouble,” says Grant.
The Calders plan to continue to improve their stud through AI, importing rams and buying New Zealand rams.
“We use these genetics if and when required. We’ve very particular about what we want.”
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