Shian Stud is located 11 Km South East of Taumarunui in the King Country. The farm comprises of 760 hectares. This land is classed as medium hill country being clay-mudstone type soil and the balance of flats being pumice soil. The climate in the past few years has consisted of cold & wet winters and quite hot summers, genuinely good season. But can dry out towards the end of summer.

Shian Stud consists of a Angus Stud, Romdale Stud, South Suffolk Stud, and commercial stock. All of which is run by the partnership of Brian & Sharon Sherson and their son Rob and wife Tracy Sherson.

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Sheep

The farm was first run with commercial stock and a Romney sheep stud. Brian had been breading Romneys since 1971 after buying some of his fathers Tom Romney Stud ewes. At one stage was selling over 100 rams a year. But once composite sheep came in it sunk sales, but always kept breeding them for ourselves and a few other clients.

Rob then decided to start breeding a few eczema tested Romdales. Starting off with purchasing a couple of Perindale Rams from Ruapuha & Awaroa studs with good eczema tolerance. That’s where the base of the Romdale Stud started. We now run a straight Romdale Stud flock & a small Romney Stud flock. None of the Romney ram lambs are kept, and the ewe lambs go into the stud. This allows us to still breed the first cross to introduce new blood into the Romdales.

South Suffolks have been bred also since the early 1970’s outside sires of recent years have come from Myola and Rockley Studs from down the South Island. We are aiming to breed solid meaty rams that are structurally sound with plenty of length.

Romdale Stud consists of 200 SIL recorded ewes & 250 South Suffolk ewes. Ram hoggets' are run through the winter from the two studs and sold annually late November early December by private treaty. We also have 1000 flock ewes and 2000 store lambs a year to fatten off.

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Cattle

In 1972 the first Angus cattle were purchased to form the basis of the now Shian Angus Stud. There are approximately 300 stud Angus cows that are wintered along with both yearling heifer and bull calves. We also purchase 250 yearling steers in the Autumn to run through to 18 months. An annual bull sale is held on the farm each year where approximately 44 bulls are sold. We look forward to meeting up with farmers who come to buy our bulls each year. With all the family involved in some way it is a big event on the farming calendar. 

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Brian & Sharon were brought up on their respective family

farms in the Taumarunui District. Brian worked on his

fathers farm for six years after leaving school and purchasing

his own farm of 135 hectares at Meads Rd, Taumarunui in 1971.

Brian in that same year marrying his wife Sharon.

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Rob and wife Tracy were also brought up on their respective

family farms within the same districts. Rob has worked on the

farm since leaving school in 2008. In 2014 Rob an Tracy went into

partnership with Brian & Sharon, forming Shian Farms. 

Brother Dean & Rob are fourth generation farmers in the Taumarunui area. Their Great Grandfather started farming in the Taumarunui District in 1909.

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Although farming has changed over the last 100 years one thing remains the same. You don't always make a lot of money farming but you have a lot of fun trying and its a great lifestyle for bringing up children. The way of life suits the type of people we are, we enjoy other peoples company but also like living and working in a peaceful and quiet environment

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