The Country 02/12/25: Ben Pratt talks to Hamish McKay

We head to the Manawatū to catch up with the stud co-owner and breeding manager at Glengarry Poll Dorset for an update on the stud’s 59th annual sale.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're going to head to well the matter with two
where I'm coming to you from today on this beautiful
sunny day, happy in fact, point and focus, and those
of you who know me won't be surprised that I've
snuck a bit happy bit of a r end of
the show, Ben Pratt from glen Garry start Big Pole
Dorse at sale yesterday at the Fielding Sale Yards. Good afternoon, Ben,

(00:20):
welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thank you Hamish. It's great to join you on the radio. Yeah,
beautiful day here and the men or turn.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
That Oh striking, it's striking, is it?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Now?

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Look tell us how did the sail go yesterday?

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Fifty nine years of the glen Garry Sail there and
I was there for a little bit of It started
very strong at the pointing end, but you know, just
getting the numbers through that's the challenge now, I guess.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, no, it it was a good sale overall. Yeah,
there was a few past and that we've got to
sell privately afterwards, but you know it was strong and
yeah we sold most of them. So no, I'm very
happy with the way it went. Thanks here heading.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Your targets Ben, because you know Paul draws it's been
around for a while, and there are these new fandangle
breeds that we all know about.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
But holding your own ground.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah yeah, but people always try these new breeds and
some of them come and go, and yeah, they come
back to the old traditional breeds at times, and yeah,
I think the old traditional breeds, yeah, hold hold their
weight and yet keep up with everything else. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yeah, and some astute buyers there being guys who who
who are very good at what they do with the
end product of their land up into parts of the world,
will we you know, where they've sort of individually made
a name for themselves. So that must be heartening as well.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Oh definitely. Yeah, No, we've got some great loyal supporters.
And yeah, I think the fact that my father was
quite pioneering in the sheep industry originally and got into
performance recording from the early days, mainly focusing on growth rates,
primarily trying to grow those leans as quick as possible

(02:06):
up to waits for the works in less time on
the farm. Yeah, less drenching, less dagging, all that sort
of stuff.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah, it was nice to catch up with young Ross
your dad, as you've mentioned now, he was he involved,
you know, the good, great our of first five eight
that he was back in the day.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Well, has he been involved that whole fifty nine years?

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yes he has, yep, Yeah, he was out.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
Of the womb fifty nine years ago.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Goodness me right, yeah, I think he was about twenty
when he first started.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's still a great pass.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
You can still see the glint in his eye when
he's there, and he's obviously very proud of what you've
carried on and still doing, still performing it. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well yeah, I don't think I'm half as good as
him yet, but I'm trying my best and yeah, hopefully
I'll get there one day anyway.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, enjoyable too, And you've got a good team there
with the young Callum Stewart I think was sort of
leading the way for you as well.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, Callum's yeah, finishing up as a stud stock. Yes,
I've lived for right and now, but ye know he's
done a great job over the years, and Simon Smith
as well, and of course Marris Stewart yet round out
the PGG team that helps Silda rants here.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, they do a great job.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
It was most magnificent sandwiches for lunch to be and
I've got to mention.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
Hey, Ay, of course, Appert he's still a great part
of the world. You know, you know, one of the
great sharing shows.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
You know.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
We've got the pub up there now that goes well,
and the and the wood shopping we have sort of.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
It's sort of all going. And I can tell you this, Ben,
I think that I hope that the.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Glen Gary Bold Horse that start has a very big
part to play because there's something special that's coming out now.
Fifty years ago he was there briefly while you were
at Appitty Primary School. Ivan Jews, George Desmond, Ivan George A.
D Ig wrote the book Happeny Where is that? And
now Carolyn, his beautiful daughter, is going to be We're

(04:06):
going to have another edition so well, fifty years on. Yeah,
I don't know what I'm giving away too much about that,
but yeah, yeah, I'm looking forward to that, and we'll
make sure you're in there too. Because old Bugger Lakes
he has been asked to follow the in the tradition
of my grandfather C. W.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Mclie, who was very good friends with your grandparents.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
He wrote the original forward or forward as you call it,
and I'm going to be doing the same. Oh, I
been great to check. Congratulations on another fine sale, and.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Keep up the good work. Much appreciated.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
Thanks a much great talking here. Cheers, cheers man