Fossil Creek Angus was established by Neil and Rose Sanderson and their three daughters in the late 1980s, with the original base being in North Canterbury. The Sandersons then moved to a similarly challenging climate in North Otago – with two properties – Crestlo at Five Forks and Craigevar at Ngapara, which provides the ideal venue for the Fossil Creek Rising 2 Year Old Bull Sale held annually in mid June.
In 2016 the Sandersons made the decision to strengthen the dynamics in their team even further and approached hill country sheep and beef farmers and sheep stud breeders Blair and Jane Smith to run the Fossil Creek breeding herd on their 1100 hectare Newhaven hill country run block at Five Forks, at 650 metres altitude and just along the Kakanui Range from the Fossil Creek base.
The strengths of Neil (a Veterinarian) and Rose’s highly valuable experience in genetics alongside Blair and Jane’s ability to challenge the Fossil Creek stud cows in a high altitude environment, has proven to be a huge strength for Fossil Creek Genetics. The Fossil Creek breeding cow herd has steadily increased through this period with careful selection of replacements and high expectations of genetic performance maintained. In Spring 2018, there will be 400 Fossil Creek Angus stud calves born.
This partnership has been a fantastic combination of like – minded farmers that are passionate about beef genetics – and has since grown to a full 50/50 partnership of the Fossil Creek Angus herd and progeny. This gives the stud the scope of three properties, the minds of four people and a team approach that means that Fossil Creek Angus is fully focused on the requirements of all clients throughout New Zealand and abroad, and have a strong focus on supplying genetics that will rise to both the challenges and opportunities that lies ahead for beef producers world wide.
