Suffolks
Judge: Dale Moore, Penrise Poll Dorset stud, Campania,Tasmania
Grand champion Suffolk: Blue Rock
Senior champion Suffolk ram: Deppeler
Senior champion Suffolk ewe: Deppeler
Reserve champion Suffolk ram: Ashley Park
Reserve champion Suffolk ewe: Otto.
WINNING the Grand Champion Suffolk ribbon at the Bendigo Australian Sheep and Wool Show took Romsey’s Deva Weitman, of Blue Rock, Romsey, completely by surprise.
The 13 month old ram, sired by Nangana Star, faced stiff competition from animals shown by Deppeler Stud, at Derrinalum.
“It was a complete shock, I came here with not much expectation, and it’s a complete surprise,” Ms Weitman said.
“They are attractive animals, but they are also very tasty – they have a fantastic flavour, with great marbling – it is a really fine meat.”
Ms Weitman said the Chinese market was driving orders from China.
“In other states, they use them as a terminal sire, because they are very fast growing.
“China likes them, because they are quite a hardy breed and can cope with extreme temperatures.”
Blue Rock ran 70 breeding ewes and three rams.
“I think we will keep it that size, running the stud, and improving on what we have got,” she said.
Judge Dale Moore, Penrise stud, Campania,Tasmania, said the champion displayed good muscle patterns.
“That’s what I have been looking for, I like to see some good muscle on the sheep,” he said.
“He’s good right through, starting from the front, he has got a lovely sized head - a good Suffolk head - good neck extension, well down, smooth through the shoulders, good top line, good depth of loin and length of loin.
“He’s well muscled through the hind quarter, through that chump chop area, down the outside of the thigh, and he is a great carcase animal.
“I think he is the worthy champion animal.”
Deppeler Stud’s Doug Deppeler said the Champion winning ewe was rated very highly and had identical breeding to an animal which won at Bendigo last year.
“The sire was a reserve champion in Melbourne, so the breeding is there and the consistency coming through is what is so pleasing to us,” Mr Deppler said.
The stud had been running for 45 years and had a strong infusion of Cote Hele, Tasmania, bloodlines.
He said he had been breeding the Suffolks for 45 years and had a steady market for the rams.
“They go into the more marginal country, where they are looking for a bigger framed, longer legged sheep that can cover long distances.
“They are looking for a good constitution, longevity, to breed a heavy
domestic trade lamb, or export lamb.”
Mr Deppeler said the trend was for Suffolks to get smaller, but the stud was happy to put more meat on the sheep it had.
The winning ram, two year old Aristocrat was the best male the stud had ever bred.
“He had the biggest eye muscle area measured of any ram we have bred, for that age.
“He also goes back to the ram we rate as the second best we have ever bred, who was called Wally, and this animal is on a direct sire line to him.
“He is just so proud, his head comes up and he is the first sheep you see in the paddock, every day.”
As a lamb Aristocrat was used over three quarters of the ewe flock.
