Join The Ferguson Family April 22,2026 in Otorohanga, NZ 68 Elite Lots of Jerseys, Holsteins and Ayrshires will sell!

By Dianna Malcolm

***The entrance to the 2026 Chase Your Dreams Sale at Ferdon. Photo: Dianna Malcolm.***

Young guns to lead sale

Two things happened to put Ferdon Genetics on a path to this year’s Chase Your Dreams at Ferdon sale.

When the Ferguson family last hosted a sale in 2024 to celebrate 75 years of Ferdon, they hadn’t had an on-farm sale in 29 years. That offering averaged $7403 between three breeds with the cows averaging $9550, the in-calf heifers averaging $7133, and the yearlings and younger calves averaging $5500.

What now?

Since then, the family has enjoyed success with sexed semen. While their last sale involved a strong contingent of in-milk cows, this April will be different.

Warren Ferguson said they had sold a lot of their cows in the 75th Celebration sale and they are short of cows. When Warren and his wife, Michelle, started looking at their next generation and the overflow of younger numbers growing fast on their Ōtorohanga property, they decided they had another sale in them with a different focus.

Michelle turned to Warren, and said, “We should name this sale, ‘Chase Your Dreams at Ferdon’.”

Warren instantly agreed.

***Warren and Michelle Ferguson. Photo: Sheila Sundborg, Canada.***

And so, another dream was born – the dream to host a sale of younger rockstars at Ferdon Genetics on-farm on April 22 – under the hammer of Australian auctioneer Brian Leslie.

“Because we rear most of our heifers and the numbers kept coming, it seemed logical that it would be the younger heifers we would offer in the Chase Your Dreams, because (let’s face it) they literally are the dream,” Michelle said.

Ferdon will market 68 elite lots that will include 57 Jerseys, nine Holsteins and two Ayrshires. They will range in age from calves to in-calf heifers, and it will include some guest consignments from Tyla Ireland and Jerome and Holly Ferguson.

A dream represents risk, but if anyone can dissipate that, it is Ferdon. This is the herd that has been Premier Exhibitor at the NZ DairyEvent for 15 of the last 18 years. This January three cows carrying the Ferdon prefix won Senior (and Grand Champion) Jersey, Reserve Senior Champion Jersey and Honourable Mention Senior Champion Jersey.

The Ferguson family has never been afraid to get out there and mix it with the best of the best in competition. But they know that showing cows costs money, it takes significant time and energy – along with a lot of worry. Hosting a sale is where that energy and marketing is replenished.

Warren said, “We hope people can develop their own cow families from these offerings and hopefully find a family that they can breed champions from.”

Michelle added, “Showing is also about the people that you meet along the way and shows and sales are something that the whole family can be involved in. It's a bit like playing sport when you get home all together – win or lose – the debrief is always about what we can do better.”

***Three lots feature Ferdon B Stone Lippy EX92 in their pedigree. Photo: Sheila Sundborg, Canada***

Why young stock?

Countering the ‘dream’ and vision needed for young stock, is the knowledge that the Ferguson family is generation deep in solid and repeatable pedigrees.

“Ultimately, it’s families that determine what we sell and what that family's numbers are like in the herd,” Warren said.

“We chose the star lots because the cows like Vienna [Ferdon BS Vienna-ET EX95], Lyn [Ferdon Tbone Lyn EX90], and Flower [Ferdon Victorious Flower EX94 – sold in 2024 to Tony and Lois McAllister] have all done so well, and we have dams and sisters still on-hand to move forward with.”

Michelle adds, “But, don’t get us wrong, some of these heifers have been very hard to put up for auction. Especially for me.”

***Running a productive farm and nurturing world-class pedigrees has always been Ferdon’s passion. Photo: Sheila Sundborg.***

Circular business

Breeding and marketing cattle is a circular business, and Ferdon understand that. They have also been active buying. They bought into two global Holstein families that they were impressed with, and the results of their work with those families will be offered on April 22.

Lot 23 is a July 2025-born Holstein sired by Ducket Pfct Has It All that traces back to her maternal Canadian granddam, Knonaudale Jasmine EX96-4E 11*.

“The calf is pretty outstanding, and with her sire being Duckett Pfct Has it All (from S-S-I Doc Have Not 8783-ET) you have two globally famous granddams on the top and bottom of the pedigree,” Warren said.

Ferdon sourced her dam from Lawwal Holsteins.

Lot 24 traces back to another Canadian name, Jacobs Goldwyn Brittany-ET EX96-2E. The 2011 Reserve All-Canadian had first caught the eye of another master breeder, Tahora Farms, in Canterbury. Tahora offered a Tatoo daughter from Brittany in their own sale. Ferdon bought her. In turn, they are now offering a Lambda daughter from the Tatoo that not only carries the family’s famous Canadian breeder’s name, but now also two of New Zealand’s highest profile breeders in her pedigree.

“With the Holsteins, the Jasmine and the Brittany lots are two of our main lots. We purchased these as heifers from strong families that are well-known around the world, so we are only offering these outstanding individuals because we still have their families,” Warren said.

Come along…

Ferdon is known for its hospitality and Warren, Michelle, and family are looking forward to catching up with industry friends on April 22.