ELPHINSTONE fine wool Merino stud Eilan Donan kicked off the 2011 showing season with the top accolade at the Balmoral Show on the weekend.
The stud’s champion fine wool and grand champion ram at the show went on to be judged supreme sheep in the Merino section.
The Balmoral Show is recognised as the first major show in Victoria’s annual Merino sheep show circuit.
Chief steward Peter Rogers said 12 Merino studs brought 85 sheep on Saturday for judging by Ian Michael from South Australia and Julian Kaye from Elmhurst.
Eilan Donan principal Jock MacRae said his rising two-year-old ram was by a son of Nerstane 4636.
The sheep had developed on well since its second place in its all-purpose class at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo last year, he said.
Finewool judge Julian Kaye said the long stretchy ram with free-growing stylish wool was hard to fault.
More results in Stock and Land's Thursday, March 24 edition