Southbridge sheep breeder Andrew Christey can vividly remember taking over the family’s Mapua Southdown stud on a day of mixed feelings. In between the excitement of he and wife, Louise, carrying on a family tradition was the financial reality. His father, the late Leo Christey, started the stud with brother, Edward, in 1959 as part of a farm partnership. With a flock number of 3656, Mapua is the 10th-oldest stud listed in the flock book. During the 1970s it was transferred into the name of his parents, including mother Leonie who took a keen interest in sheep breeding. In 2007 they took on half the stud. "The other half was sold to Blair Robertson, who is a well-known stud breeder. Little did I know just how much that half was going to cost me, to be fair. I just said: I will pay what he’s paying and then the bill came in." With two children under 5 years, Mark and Sarah, they were keen to carry on the family progression.…