Wallace acknowledged he was of an age where it would be quite legitimate for him to retire. But he said the keen interest in their Coledale sheep of his 13 year old grand daughter, Kirsty, kept him involved in the stud's day to day operations.
They had recently added a particularly vital piece of equipment to enable them both to keep working the sheep, without injuring themselves. (Poll Dorsets have always been big but like other breeds could weigh 80 to 100kg or more these days.)
That life saving piece of kit, although expensive, is a mechanical sheep handler. Wallace said that once it drew a sheep into its race, it would automatically clamp the sheep tightly and immovably so it could be drenched, inoculated or ear tagged while standing up, or it could turn the sheep on its side to be dagged or even partially shorn.
The Binnies run between 450 and 480 ewes, on nearly 400ha between Thoona and Devenish, and sell 150 to 160 rams a year at an on farm sale.