Aorere Ayrshires' long pedigree

JOYCE WYLLIE

The annual Ayrshire New Zealand conference was held in Nelson this year, with a day trip to Golden Bay. Fans of these red and white cows visited Riverlea Farm, the only Ayrshire herd in the Top of the South, now proudly operated by the fourth and fifth generations of Rileys.

John Riley originally settled in Ferntown before his son, Raby, bought a big block of land across the river at Rockville. During the 1880s, the bush was cleared, and a farm developed, grazing trading-stock and selling meat to goldminers.

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The farm was split in the next generation, and son Ralph started milking cows, supplying cream to Rockville Dairy Factory. Riverlea Ayrshires was established in 1944 by Ralph and his wife Floss, with their first pedigree cow – a rising three-year-old called “Ingledale Gloria”. This well-travelled bovine arrived in Collingwood all the way from Southland. Ralph led her off the boat at the port, proudly taking her around the pub before walking back home to the farm up the Aorere Valley.

More cows were purchased over the years from various established studs. Pedigree ladies with names like “Mahoe Pixie”, “Ballantine Coralleen”, “Lakeside Cherry”, and “Ingleside Joyous Lady” joined the herd. Eleven cows bought by 1963 formed the foundation of both the Riverlea and Riverina Ayrshire herds. Bulls were also sourced from various studs, and over the years the cows were mated with sires by names of “Ivanhoe Jimmy Cole”, “Lakeside Stylish Lad”, “Cloverdoon Commander”, and “Burnside Bonny Prince”.

Brothers Ivan and Neil Riley farmed together after taking over from their parents, until Neil and his wife Jean bought their own farm in the early 1970s. The original Riverlea herd was split, and Neil established his own Riverina stud. To make up numbers, both brothers bought Jerseys and Friesian cows, which were bred back to Ayrshire over time.

Cows were prepared, trained to lead, and exhibited at A&P Shows in Nelson and Golden Bay, but that no longer happens.

From the 1960s onwards, Riverlea used Artificial Breeding (AB) sires. This enabled genetics to be introduced from the United Kingdom as well as around NZ. Since Ayrshire NZ established Semayr Breeding Services, Riverlea has used semen from “top Ayrshire proven bulls”, with some cows mated to Finnish sires. More cows and heifers have monuments.co.nz been introduced over the years to continue to improve bloodlines in the herd.

Ralph’s son Ivan and his wife May farmed Riverlea, with Ivan serving nine years as director of Ayrshire NZ, and their son Stewart joined them in partnership. Herd numbers increased and farm size expanded, with more land being bought from neighbours both on the Rockville dairy farm and the Rakopi run-off block.

Stewart and his wife Marice bought the farm in 1998 and they still enjoy working on Riverlea, with their son Ashley and wife Kayla now contract milking for them. The river flats at Rockville carry a herd of 420 cows, down from a peak of 460. The hills of the Rakopi runoff graze mobs of red and white beef cattle as well as young dairy stock. Ayrshires are an ideal dual-purpose breed for their operation, with cows producing good milk and steers growing into beef animals.

The conference-goers enjoyed a BBQ lunch, a farm tour, and inspection of this longestablished Ayrshire herd. A successful family operation for over 80 years, Rileys and Riverlea are well set up to thrive in the future.

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