A STYLISH White Suffolk ewe and a powerful Border Leicester ram proved the best of the best during this year's Australia Sheep and Wool Show Interbreed Championship.
Both the prestigious titles headed over the NSW border with Retallac Border Leicester Stud, Ariah Park, and Rene Stud, Culcairn topping off two stellar performances with their respective ram and ewe exhibits.
The standard of champions exhibited was high and made it a tough call for the meat breed judges with the Border Leicester ram's regal presence and fleece coverage and the ewe's length, muscling and style being the deciding factors.
The ram, a High Tensile son, was sashed Supreme Australian Long Wool Exhibit after winning the Border Leicester supreme champion title the day before. It was a consistent result to success earlier in the year when the ram won championships at Sydney Royal Show and Royal Canberra Show.
It was an unlikely feat for the undefeated rising two year old ram that was nearly sold at last year's on property ram sale before co-principal Graham Grinter withdrew him from the catalogue at the last minute.
Mr Grinter plans to retain him for use in the stud for three years before he hands him on to one of his Border Leicester protégés Ben Simmons, Talbragar Border Leicester stud, Leadville, NSW.
"He has a big ego but there is a lot to like about him," Mr Grinter said of the striking ram.
"Every bit of him that can be covered in wool is. Judges often comment on his fleece and structure."
The September-2013 drop ram weighed 105kilograms and recorded estimated breeding values of 5.1kilgorams weaning weight, 9.8kg 10-month weight, 9 millimetres fat and 41mm muscle.-Rene Rosé was crowned Supreme Australian Prime Lamb Breed and was described as a "flawless" 15 month-old White Suffolk.
She is the granddaughter of Wingamin Top Shelf and according to Rene co-principal Scott Mitchell said was earmarked as a champion from birth.
"She is impossible to fault," Mr Mitchell said.
It is the fourth interbreed title Rene has secured at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, three of which were crowned to ewe exhibits.
"We've got a handy flock of ewes – we pride ourselves on chasing the right genetics that gels with the stud goals," he said.
"Dad and I love finding the right genetics that follow the trends within the sheep meat industry that includes structural soundness, true type and leading meat quality.
"(Rene Rosé) shows all these qualities."
Topping an extremely successful outing, Supreme Australian longwool group went to Retallack, while the Frost family of Hillden Poll Dorsets, Bannister, NSW snagged the Supreme Australian prime lamb group title.
The Frost's ewes shown in the supreme group came from a long-line of champions and were commended for their fleshy muscling and "beautiful" structure.
It was the debut event for the ram, Hillden 210-14T, who was sashed reserve champion ram in the breed's class.
He was an April-2014 drop son of Tattykeel 408-12, the supreme champion at the 2013 Australasian Dorset Championships Show.