Lime Country is a progressive thoroughbred enterprise specialising in sales preparation and broodmare agistment.
Our mission is to achieve great results every step of the way. From commercial success in the sale ring all the way through to winning races, we enjoy doing business with like-minded people. We have strong relationships with our existing clients and we look forward to developing new successful partnerships with Australasian and International breeders, owners, trainers and participants in the future. Lime Country has been a top 10 vendor by average at all sales in NZ & Australia, from yearling sales to breeding stock sales and we hope to expand that success sales rings over the coming years.
Greg & Jo Griffin
During that period Greg & Jo travelled the polo circuit between NZ, Australia and the UK. A growing young family prompted the decision to return to New Zealand full-time with Greg taking up a position at Windsor Park Stud, largely focusing on working with the stallions and yearlings. The time spent at Windsor Park, along with some success as an owner of broodmares and race fillies ignited his passion for the thoroughbred industry.
From the thoroughbred itself to the business of breeding and the art of developing young stock for sale, working with horses is a life Greg loves.
Jo worked for many years as a professional groom for NZ Olympic show-jumpers after a successful riding career in her youth. A subsequent career in marketing and business development saw Jo in national roles with high profile brands such as Chubb, Disney and Warner. However, it was Jo's love of the Thoroughbred Industry that saw her land the role of National Marketing Manager for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. In 2010 Jo decided to focus full-time on the growth and development of Lime Country Thoroughbreds, this focus has been a key driver in the rapid growth of the business.
Up until 2017 Jo's commitments in NZ saw her sit on the board of New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing as one to two Stud Masters representatives while also holding a seat on the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association council. Jo is driven to provide Lime Country clients with a unique level of service within the industry and to see the farm continuing its ascent amongst the top vendors in the country.
The Farm
Lime Country is 286 acres of fertile horse heaven located 25 minutes from Scone in the beautiful Blandford valley.
Our big lush paddocks have the option to be irrigated as required, due to our significant water license and extensive river frontage.
With extensive stands of mature gums providing shade or shelter as required the farm is established and picturesque.
A major new state of the art 30 horse Yearling Barn complex is currently underway and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Multiple crushes and mare and foal stables are spread around the farm allowing for each section of the farm to be well supported with infrastructure as and when required. The property has a new mare & foal crush/vetting area designed for excellent flow of stock and safety at all times.
Lime Country's Australian Expansion
In early 2016 we made the decision to move away from our base in the Hawkes Bay of New Zealand to ensure our business and family were positioned solidly for the future. Our move to the Southern Highlands of NSW in 2017 to take over the former Think Big Stud set up by Dato Tan Chin Nam had been the culmination of a year of planning and many big decisions.
Four years later in June 2021 we purchased our beautiful new farm formerly known as Ballygrove, in the heart of the Hunter Valley - the thoroughbred capital of Australia.
It wasn't hard to figure out why NSW currently has one of the most, if not the most, vibrant, progressive and accessible racing and breeding industries in the world today. Exceptional prizemoney, forward-thinking participants and world-class bloodstock are the reasons why the Australian racing and breeding industries are ahead of the rest, and why Lime Country decided to be a part of it.
Values
Our clients provide us with their stock and we feel enormous responsibility to do our utmost to maximise their return on investment while providing the very best, individualised care for each-and-every horse on our property. The buyers and investors that support us at the sales are key to our success and we do all we can to ensure that our clients' stock end up in the best possible hands.
Our staff are the people we get up and work alongside 365 days of the year. We want to work with great people who enjoy their work and want to progress within our business. We have assembled a team of people who understand how important their role and responsibilities are within our business. What they do and how they do it is a representation of our business and our values. So, we want and expect a lot more than average from our team and treat them like the assets they are.
Our reputation is why were are where we are. There is no other income stream, no fall-back position. Our reputation is extremely valuable to us and must be upheld, protected, cultured and continuously developed. We take our reputation into account in all that we do. This is a word of mouth business, recommendations matter.
Finally the horses. We aim to produce horses that are well-grown, sound and well educated - the three most important things that will help them maximise their chance of success on the track. Our mares live in a peaceful and well planned environment to ensure they breed quality foals. We pride ourselves on our horse management, there are no short cuts with feed, education or time. It's all about the quality of service, the quality of the staff and the outstanding natural environment.
