This year’s Australian Sheep and Wool Show (ASWS) has again been heralded a success, with large crowds watching on as record sheep entries battled for the top honours.
The judging of 30 sheep breeds over three days drew more than 3000 entries, with a West Victorian stud topping the biggest breed contingent.
In back-to-back wins, the Walton family’s Wurrook Merino stud, Rokewood, won the Merino supreme exhibit.
The winning fine wool ewe was sired by Merryville Hamilton Giant, who also sired the Wurrook ram that topped last year’s Merino showing and other champions. The six-tooth, August-shorn entry came out of a ewe of Wurrook’s Monarch family and carried wool figures of 17.5 micron, 2.5 standard deviation, 14.3 co-efficient of variation and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
The ewe, which impressed the judges and crowd with its combination wool quality and quantity on a structurally correct frame, was named supreme of the 836 Merino and Poll Merino entries, after going head to head with grand champion ram, an ultrafine wool ram from Conrayn stud, Berridale, NSW.
The four-tooth, August-shorn ram was by another Merryville sire, Merryville Big Brilliant.
“For an ultrafine ram, its sheer scale is eye-catching and it’s well covered with soft-handling wool,” Mr Lette said.
“It’s one of the top few we’ve ever bred.”
Fellow NSW Merino stud Nerstane, Woolbrook, won The Sandford Beggs Memorial Trophy for the most successful Merino exhibitor, with a haul of five reserve grand champion ribbons and the two major group prizes.
NSW dominated the interbreed judging, with Tattykeel Poll Dorset stud, Oberon, crowned supreme Australian prime lamb exhibit, Wattle Farm Border Leicester stud, Temora, winning supreme long wool sheep and Dell Dorpers, Moama, taking home supreme cleanskin sheep.
Central Victorian stud Loddon Park made a triumphant return to the ASWS, securing the supreme champion of the Corriedales, this year’s feature breed.
Just over three years ago, all but one of the stud’s breeding ewes were killed in a fire at Baringhup.
