A TASMANIAN ram was singled out by the judge as a perfect example of the Corriedale breed from the very start at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show on Saturday.
Di Rawlinson, who is an ex-Corriedale breeder from New Zealand, was presiding over the ram line-up on the day.
She picked out Richard Archer’s rising three-year-old entry - from his Quamby Plains stud in Tasmania - for the senior champion ram, grand champion ram, and finally supreme.
“It was a pleasure to judge the rams today,” she said.
But she chose the Quamby Plains animal for its “exceptional” fleece and body.
“I spotted him from the very start,” Ms Rawlinson said.
Mr Archer said the ram had previously been shown at the 2014 Campbell Town Show, Tas, where he collected the grand champion broad-ribbon.
His sire 07-301 had also been awarded interbreed champion at Campbell Town in the past, above the Merinos, which was a big feat.
“I’m very happy,” Mr Archer said.
Click on the picture to view the Corriedale slideshow
While the breeder is no stranger to the supreme broadribbon at Bendigo, he said it was fantastic to win.
“You do get a lot of years of disappointment, but when you win, it’s really nice,” he said.
But the Ellis family, of the Sweetfield stud at Mt Moriac, fought hard for the supreme title, narrowly missing out on the top spot.
Their young ewe, dubbed “Lucy", secured both the junior champion and grand champion ewe titles.
Ewe judge, Graham Jenke, Strathalbyn, SA, said he selected the young ewe over the senior ewe largely because of its defined crimp wool.
“She is exceptional for her age…a complete sheep,” he said.
Stud principal Bron Ellis admitted she was shaking after taking out the grand champion ewe broadribbon.
“I didn’t expect to win at all,” she said.
