Southbridge sheep breeder Andrew Christey can vividly remember taking over the family’s Mapua Southdown stud on a day of mixed feelings.

In between the excitement of he and wife, Louise, carrying on a family tradition was the financial reality.

His father, the late Leo Christey, started the stud with brother, Edward, in 1959 as part of a farm partnership.

With a flock number of 3656, Mapua is the 10th-oldest stud listed in the flock book.

During the 1970s it was transferred into the name of his parents, including mother Leonie who took a keen interest in sheep breeding. In 2007 they took on half the stud.

"The other half was sold to Blair Robertson, who is a well-known stud breeder. Little did I know just how much that half was going to cost me, to be fair.…