Victorian studs swept up the top prizes of the interbreed judging at Sheepvention.
The Jackson family, Moyston, had great success in the interbreed judging at Sheepvention, Hamilton.
Ross and Lydia Jackson’s Two-Dot Station Border Leceister stud won supreme long-wool ewe, with a July 2015-drop daughter of Retallack Pure Steel that the family purchased for a then-record of $16,000 in 2011.
Judge John Christie, Aird, Byaduk, said the ewe had a lot of width and depth and showed “tremendous maternal instincts” in raising her first-drop of twin lambs.
Ross’s parents David and Carol Jackson, Jacksons Border Leicesters, Moyston, made it a hat trick by winning the interbreed maternal lamb production class for the third year in a row.
The judging panel did a visual assessment and considered LambPlan figures, which for both of the Jackson rams included low birthweights and high growth and fertility.
Blue Rock Suffolk stud, Romsey, won supreme short wool ewe, and Geoff Oliver, Englewood Park, Inverleigh, said it was an “outstanding ewe” that was beautifully balanced, well-structured and walked with ease.
In the rams, an ecstatic Bron Ellis, principal of Sweetfield Corriedale stud, Mount Moriac, enjoyed her most successful Sheepvention to date, winning supreme long wool ram and supreme long wool group.
Ms Ellis said the winning ram had a winning pedigree – its mother was by Sweetfield Sandiago that won supreme at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Bendigo, and Sheepvention in 2007.
Anden White Suffolk stud has made a triumphant return to the Sheepvention show ring, by winning the supreme short wool ram after a 15-year hiatus from the event.
The ram came through the August 15-drop class and also won supreme exhibit of the breed.
Co-principal Joel Donnan said the ram would be shown at Adelaide Royal Show and then will be offered for sale at the on-property auction in October.
Mr Donnan said there had been a lot of interest in the Kurralea 305 son at its pen and it was very exciting that the judges agreed.
Judge Chris Badcock, Fairburn, Tasmania, liked its structure, muscling and early maturing.
“For an August-drop ram, it’s done really well to get up to 121.5kg without being pumped up with feed,” Mr Donnan said.
The White Suffolks also won the supreme short wool group. The Wingamin stud, Karoonda, South Australia, took home the ribbon and Caitlin Schillabeer said they had won it a few years ago and the prize showed the consistency of the breeding program and that it was going in the right direvtion. The ram of the group was senior champion White Suffolk ram and is to be offered at the Adelaide ram sale.
