The former Edendale man recently bought the operation from contractor Tim Anderson, and says the deal came about almost by accident.
"I saw Tim had his Canterbury run for sale and I just rang to inquire about that but didn’t want to move too far north, as my partner Anna lives in Mosgiel. Which led to Tim selling me his Otago run," he said.
Now based across Lawrence and Ranfurly, Mr McLeod runs two tailing gangs and is on track to tail about 320,000 lambs this season. He also bought Mr Anderson’s crutching trailer and conveyor to round out the business.
Mr McLeod grew up around hard work in a rural setting. His father was a digger contractor.
"I always hoped he might buy a bit of land but it never eventuated," he said with a shrug. Instead, he is carving out his own path. He started shepherding after leaving school, working at Kelso Downs and Lora Gorge, followed by a stint with Southland sheep contractor Lachie McCall.
This season has brought its share of challenges, most notably the weather.
"But like everything thrown at them, they are all pretty pragmatic. Just doing what they can control and getting on with things."
He expected staffing to be a concern, but said it had not been as difficult as anticipated.
"All of the crew are hard-working and get along well."
Managing ewes and lambs during penning could create a high-pressure, fast-paced environment, he said, but the team always rose to the occasion.
"The customer is always right ... even when they’re wrong," he said, laughing.
He remains grateful to Mr Anderson for the opportunity to step into a strong client base and a great lambing season.
