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Lansdowne Bolsters Flock With Terrick Genetics

Since its establishment in 1881, the Lansdowne Pastoral Company has evolved with the times, most recently through the purchase of Rick and Jenny Keogh's Terrick Merino stud in March, 2022.

Read the story more on Queensland Country Life
Lansdowne's Chris Turnbull inspecting sheep at a show
Chris Turnbull with the 2017 Landmark Queensland Young Merino Breeder award.

Terrick Merinos’ 125 Years of History Moving to Lansdowne at Tambo | Queensland Country Life | QLD

The 125-year-old Terrick Merino Stud at Blackall is moving to a stud with a historic legacy just as long as its own.


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Lansdowne's Chris Turnbull inspecting sheep at a show. Picture: Bushshutterman Photography


Chris Turnbull with the 2017 Landmark Queensland Young Merino Breeder award.


The 125-year-old Terrick Merino Stud at Blackall is moving to a stud with a historic legacy just as long as its own.


The Turnbull family at Lansdowne, Tambo are in the process of purchasing the stud from Rick and Jenny Keogh for an undisclosed price.


LANSDOWNE MANAGER CHRISTOPHER TURNBULL SAID IT WAS THEIR INTENTION TO KEEP THE STUD SEPARATE FROM THEIR OWN AND RUN IT ALONGSIDE THE LANSDOWNE MERINO STUD.


He said it would have been a shame to have seen more than a century of breeding and all of the Keoghs' work over the last 20 years gone in a dispersal sale.


"It wouldn't be good to see Terrick clients go to NSW and Victoria for their rams - we hope they'll be following the stud over to us," he said. "The land type here, and the rainfall, is pretty similar to what the sheep are used to."


The sale includes 1500 stud ewes, ram lambs, ewe weaners and 30 sires, all with ASBV indexing.


In an interesting twist, the Turnbulls bought the entire Gowan poll Merino stud, part of the original Terrick Terrick stud breeding operation, in 2001, the same year that the Keoghs purchased the horn side of the business.


Rick Keogh said he was relieved to know that all their practices would be maintained under the new regime.


"We had the opportunity to break the stud up, and make more money in the process, for the genetics - there was a bit of interest in that," he said. "But 125 years of history won't be dissolved on my watch."


RELATED: Terrick stud stands test of time


Mr Keogh said they got to the end of last year and felt something had to give.


"The pressures of the whole stud side of the business were getting too much for us, and we've always been believers in doing the job properly," he said. "Hume Turnbull had previously expressed an interest in the stud, so that's how it happened."


Chris Turnbull said there were good financial reasons for them to take Terrick Merinos on, as well as its genetic legacy, saying the amount of exclusion fencing that had taken place meant there was an ongoing strong need for Merino rams.


"We think it will improve our bottom line," he said.


Lansdowne Stud Begun in 1884


The Lansdowne Pastoral Company was formed in 1881 and purchased its first sheep in 1883, beginning a Merino stud in 1884, 12 years before the Australian Estates and Mortgage Co Ltd brought a Merino stud into being at Terrick Terrick in 1896.


Lansdowne has had a poll stud since 1944.


Mr Turnbull said Lansdowne had been a Haddon Rig Merino daughter stud for a bloodline base since the 1950s.


Genetics bought into the stud over the past 30 years include South Australian sires in 2005, and Boonoke sires bought in 2014 and in 2021.


Poll Boonoke ram to Tambo for $17,000


IN ADDITION TO THE GOWAN POLL MERINO STUD PURCHASE, EWES BOUGHT OVER THE YEARS TO COMPLEMENT THEIR OWN SIRES INCLUDE CANONBAR STUD EWES IN 1995.


Mr Turnbull finished school at TSS at Southport a decade ago, going straight to the Northern Territory to work for CPC at Newcastle Waters and Carlton Hill, before gaining a sheep and wool scholarship to attend Marcus Oldham College at Geelong.


After completing a one-year agribusiness degree there, he worked on Cobungra, a Wagyu stud in Victoria's high country until April 2014, when drought was pinching hard back home at Tambo.


In 2017 he was appointed overseer of the flock operation at Lower Lansdowne, and was also named the inaugural winner of the Landmark Queensland Young Merino breeder award.


He has been Lansdowne's manager since October last year and said he was looking forward to working alongside Rick Keogh and take on all his knowledge, and introducing ASBV indexing to the Lansdowne stud.


Lansdowne currently sells all its rams privately but Mr Turnbull said there was a possibility of holding either an on-property or off-property sale at Blackall.


"People are used to that with Terrick - it would be a shame to throw it out," he said.

Best Result to Date Achieved at 2021 Ram Auction

31 August
Summary of results:
  • 100% clearance
  • Average price per head $1650
  • Top price of $3600 
  • Top price ram bought by the Bredhauer family of Lambert Stud

Terrick Merino Stud 125 years 

This year the Terrick Merino genetics celebrate 125 years of genetic evolution and advancement.


Read Terrick Merinos celebrates 125 years in the Queensland Country Life

2021 season overview

Seasonally, the last twelve months have been very patchy across much of Queensland.

Last summer, the patchy storms stimulated grasshopper and flea beetle outbreaks across many areas of western Queensland. These areas had recorded historically low rainfall over the past few years and it seemed that as soon as the rains came, every insect and caterpillar wanted to hatch and reproduce as soon as possible.

In some areas, the regeneration and recovery of drought-affected pasture was compromised. But in other areas, the grasshoppers and other insects ate out all the completion in the grass. In these, areas grasses responded better than for many years.

Consequently, pastures across western Qld range from, not too bad, to areas that have no ground cover at all.

Let’s hope for some lovely slow moving general rain changes over western Queensland in the coming months.

Young rams

The 2023 drop rams are very pleasing. 

Our policy is not to feed our rams except in times of drought. This enables us and our clients to assess the constitution and ability of our rams to perform in this environment.


This year, their body weights are similar to last year and the wools look bright and well nourished. 


We look forward to presenting the top 100 of the 2023 drop rams at the ram sale in September in Blackall. 


There are a further 200 grade rams for sale. These can be inspected and selected on property at an arranged time.

  • Nerstane 73 - Australian Supreme Merino Ram 2017

2020 Artificial Insemination program

We introduced one new ram in our AI program last year - Nerstane 73.


We used 4 of our own rams in the AI program as well. This was to gain within flock benchmarks against our own Terrick genetics.


Progeny from this program will be classed into the stud next season.

More fencing for the control of wild dogs and improved environmental and livestock management


The protection of our sheep from wild dogs is ongoing. Our external boundary is constantly being maintained. This won’t change until there are far fewer dogs on the outside of our boundary fence.


We continue to work on our internal fencing to offer protection and enhance the management of our sheep and the environment.   

Client success

  • David and Joc Cameron, Rowina, NSW 
    Mixed aged ewes - marked 108% of lambs and cut 6.4 kg.
    Grown sheep averaged 20.2 um and the young sheep averaged 18.9um.
    We are pleased with the outcome for David and Joc as we believe it important that the genetic potential of the stud is repeated positively different environments.


  • Copai Pastoral Co, Wallyah Quilpie, Qld
    Mixed aged wethers cut 8.5 kg with 11 months of wool. The fleece line averaged 120 mm.



  • Tenham Past. Co, Quilpie, Qld
    Mixed aged ewes marked 80% of lambs and cut 6.5 kg. Clip averaged 19.8.


  • Mims Grazing, Winton, Qld
    Full drop of wether lambs @10 moths - Sold $142.
    2 and 4 tooth wethers off the board - Sold $146.
    Whole clip sold for average of $2300 per bale.
    This was achieved under very dry conditions.

Thank you

We would like to thank those who continue to support us, welcome those who are giving our genetics ‘a go’ and say farewell to those valued clients who are retiring from the industry.


We wish to pass on our appreciation and thanks.