Mr Hampton, who farms at Cave in South Canterbury, was among the vendors at the Canterbury stud ram and ewe fair in Christchurch last week.
The Waterton South Suffolk stud was founded by his father, Peter, in 1959 while farming at Ashburton.
Peter Hampton later imported six Suffolk ewes from Australia as the foundation for a Suffolk stud and, ironically, they have since sold semen back to Australia.
Chris Hampton, his wife Annabelle, and their children Elizabeth (12) and William (10), moved from Ashburton to a 816ha property in Cave nearly four years ago. The move was driven by a desire to continue sheep farming, as their land in Mid-Canterbury became too valuable.
They run 3000 ewes, including 200 Suffolk ewes and 100 South Suffolk ewes, just over 100 beef cattle, about 60 stud Boer goats and several hundred commercial Boer-cross goats.
It was Mrs Hampton who fell in love with Boer goats, having seen them at a Young Farmers regional stock judging competition in Ashburton. They later bought six does "and the rest is history", Mr Hampton said.
The goats had adapted well to the shift to the steep property and were very useful for gorse and thistle control. They were farmed on a very commercial scale.
Mr Hampton, who is both a goat and sheep judge and a former national Young Farmers stock judging champion, enjoyed working with all stock.
He particularly liked the genetics involved in breeding stock, the challenge involved and continually trying to better their stock.
There were 258 rams and two ewes offered at the fair and sales were up 18% on last year with a total of $345,750 over the two days. The average price was $2172 for rams and $225 for ewes.
The top price was for a Southdown ram sold for $8500 by Chris Medlicott of Waimate. It was bought by J.M. and C.A. Jordon, of Willowhaugh Enterprises, Blenheim, and the sale was a half-share with an Australian buyer with the semen likely to be exported.
The prices achieved represented excellent value for purchasers with top quality rams available at attractive prices, stock agents said.
"Considering the current situation with regard to grass and schedule values, sales were disappointing, in both the prices realised and the clearance rate.
"This is reflective of the sheep industry in New Zealand with a considerable change in land use and the fall off in ewe numbers," PGG Wrightson livestock genetics manager Bruce Orr said.
Top prices.-
Texel: Sam and Vicki Holland (Culverden) $6500, K.R. and H.K.Shipley (Christchurch) $6000.
South Suffolk: Don Maclean and Co (Omakau) $4200, A.T. and A.D. McCall (Gore) $3200.
Poll Dorset: A.M. McIlraith (Leeston) $6200, Trevor Potter (Pukerau) $6000.
Suffolk: J.T. Miles (Ashburton) $7200, G.C.G. and D.M. Abbot (Dunsandel) $4200.
Hampshire: R. and G.M. Macfarlane (Oxford) $1800, S. I. and H.A. Mangin (Ashburton) $1500.
English Leicester: R.W. and M.A. Manson (Hororata) $2500, A. and W. Eckhoff (Moa Creek), B.L. and D.J. McCloy (Christchurch) and A.G. and P.J. Tait (Ashburton) all fetched $1500.
Romney: O.J. Adams (Ashburton) $2700, G.J. Letham (Ashburton) $2500.
Corriedale: W.E. and P.M. Bain (Roxburgh) two at $1500.
Border Leicester: Dalness Stud (Ashburton) $3500, Westmere Farming Co Ltd (Ashburton) and I.R. Caird (Timaru) both fetched $1700.
Southdown: Chris J. Medlicott (Waimate) $8500, B.C. Macaulay (Christchurch) $6400.
Dorset Down: J.P. and W.N. Dodd (North Otago) $4000 and $3700.