Farming comes second-nature for eight-year-old Sebastian Beattie.
Growing up on a sheep stud in East Trentham, it was no surprise when the youngster signalled his intent to start his own. But Sebastian wasn’t talking about the distant future.
He’s now one of Australia’s youngest hampshire down breeders, since starting his own Blackwood Stud earlier this year.
“I have liked working with sheep ever since I was three years old and helping on the farm,” he told the Express.
“It just feels normal to me.”
His father Simon is one half of the father-son partnership running Derrynock – a pol dorset stud.
Sebastian can’t remember a time that he wasn’t involved with the farm in some way – whether that be the more intensive work of helping ewes with lambing, shearing, drenching and flock health checks, or simply absorbing farm knowledge by his dad’s side.
His latest venture is significant because hampshire downs are considered rare to Australia with few registered breeders.
Blackwood Stud is the beginning of what Sebastian hopes will be a long and successful career in farming.
He was delighted to purchase his first two sheep from a stud in nearby Lancefield. That Lancefield breeder was keen to impart his knowledge and assist Sebastian with his setup.
Since then the flock has grown to five with three sprightly lambs: Lilac, Lily and Arthur, born at the start of June.
Parents Heidi and Simon said Sebastian dedicated many after-school and weekend hours to checking on and caring for the sheep.
“It has always been Seb’s dream to have a stud. He has been very dedicated,” Heidi said.
Sebastian also has a bright and enthusiastic farm helper in his sister, six-year-old Audrey, who has been there every step of the way.
Next Sebastian has his sights set on future stud ram sales and showing his sheep at Kyneton Show.
He and Audrey are now teaching the lambs to lead in preparation. Sebastian said the key was persistence.
Audrey said showing them love went a long way too. She has her own plans to one day run a stud and study agriculture at university.
