WITH a show team of 23 head to prepare for the Australian Sheep & Wool Show (ASWS), it's all hands on deck for the Scott family who run two Poll Dorset studs.
Andrew and Donna Scott own Valley Vista Poll Dorset stud, which they operate with assistance from their youngest children – Sally, 10, and Zac, 6; their older children Joe, James and Luke have their own stud Valley Vista Park, all based at the family's Coolac property near Gundagai in NSW.
The Scotts have "a few surprises" in their show team for the ASWS, and hope for a repeat performance of their success at the event last year.
The older brothers took out the prestigious supreme prime lamb interbreed exhibit title with a Valley Vista Park ewe Liza.
Andrew Scott said there was friendly rivalry between the family members and their respective studs.
"There's usually a bit of discussion between the boys when they are picking their show team, I leave them to sort out between themselves what they are taking," he said.
The younger children take care of breaking in potential show sheep when the lambs are six months-old.
"That's always been the job of the kids when they are young they will lead them around and pretend to show them," Mr Scott said.
Just like his children Mr Scott kicked off his career in the Poll Dorset industry from a young age.
In 1976, when he was only eight years-old, Mr Scott's grandfather, Bruce Scott, bought him 23 ewes from a Poll Dorset stud dispersal at West Wyalong, NSW.
At the time Mr Scott's family farmed at Burrumbuttock, NSW, and that was where he operated his stud.
He recalled selling rams to local farmers for $160 when he was 11 years-old.
It was 1990 when Mr Scott moved to Coolac with wife Donna that they ramped up the Valley Vista Poll Dorset stud.
Prior to that he ran 5000 Merino sheep with his father – which was good while the wool market was buoyant.
"Once the wool market plummeted and the demand for the meat sheep took off the Poll Dorset stud grew," Mr Scott said.
"There has only been one year since we had surplus rams, in a drought year we had 10 rams left once, every other year we never have enough rams."
In 1991, the Scotts purchased the entire Meadow Creek Poll Dorset stud from the late Eric Britt.
Over the years there have been additions from the Armdale-Armdale Park, Karawina, Kurralea, Kismet, Rene and Tattykeel studs.
In late 2006, the Scotts purchased 550 ewes and stud sires from Gererdan stud.
At the time of the dispersal, Gererdan was among the top studs in Australia, which provided Valley Vista with a great base to breed from.
The Scotts started exhibiting at major shows in 2000 and that year they won reserve champion ewe at the NSW Cowra Poll Dorset Fair.
In 2003, the stud won reserve champion ewe at the Sydney Royal and in 2005, they snagged reserve champion ewe at Melbourne Royal.
At the 2007 Kismet stud dispersal, 24 ewes were purchased which formed a foundation for the Valley Vista Park stud.
Valley Vista Park was successful in its first year showing being promoted to open the judging.
Valley Vista Park consists of 124 stud ewes, the line of ewes being a separate blood line (family) to the Valley Vista ewes.
Valley Vista has 942 stud ewes comprising of four different family lines.
Last year was a successful year showing for the Scott family with wins including champion ram and champion ewe and supreme exhibit at the Gundagai Show as well as Canberra Royal.
They continued their winning streak at the ASWS when took out several ribbons including the ultimate win of supreme prime lamb interbreed exhibit with Liza.
Then at the 2014 Australasian Dorset Championships at Bendigo, the Valley Vista Park stud took out the reserve champion senior ram and champion ewe titles, and went on to win supreme exhibit of the show.
In the lead up to the 2015 ASWS, the Scotts successfully exhibited at Gundagai Show, Canberra Royal and Sydney Royal.
This will be the 10th year since the Scott family began showing sheep at Bendigo.
Valley Vista Park will have a team of five – four rams and a ewe – including a full brother and a son of Valley Vista Park Liza (2014 ASWS supreme prime lamb interbreed exhibit).
Luke Scott will represent Valley Vista Park at the ASWS as his two older brothers have football commitments.
Valley Vista stud will have 18 sheep including 13 rams and five ewes.
Mr Scott said the aim of both studs was to select for high growth, well-muscled and structurally correct sheep, along with ease of lambing.
"The aim is to get early growth and shape, but we are mindful of lambing ease as our main clientele are Merino producers."
The Scotts sell 350 to 400 rams annually and also hold an on property sale in October.