WHEN it came to the crunch, twin lambs helped a Corriedale ewe get over the line at the Royal Melbourne Show today.
Mt Moriac breeder Bron Ellis’ winning entry, from Sweetfield, impressed the judge Hugh Taylor, of New Zealand, from the very beginning.
She won the the champion ewe title first, and then continued on to claim supreme.
“She’s an outstanding exhibit,” Mr Taylor said.
“I always go for production, and she is looking great, with a good fleece of wool too.
“She ticks all the boxes.”
The ewe’s lambs (a ram and ewe lamb) were June-drops.
Ms Ellis and her son Leigh were overwhelmed with the win, but said the ewe is no stranger to the show ring.
This year, the animal was awarded the interbreed long-wool title at Sheepvention, Hamilton, and the grand champion ewe gong at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Bendigo.
Leigh admitted he was happy to see a ewe with twins take the top award.
“It is more difficult for a ewe with twins to keep in condition, but she’s done it well,” he said.
“From a commercial point of view, that’s exactly what you want.”
Back at their Mt Moriac farm, Ms Ellis said she'd had a good percentage of twins across their flock - about 70 per cent.
"It's been a lot higher than normal," she said.
The Ellis’ also won reserve champion ewe, as well as the champion ram and reserve champion ram.
“The champion ram was a very good example of the breed and well-presented,” Mr Taylor said.
Ms Ellis said she had nearly completed the show circuit for the 2014, with only the Geelong Royal to go.
She prepared eight entries for Melbourne.
- More Melbourne Show results in the Stock & Land September 25 edition
Louise Preece
Journalist for Stock & Land.
Journalist for Stock & Land.
