South Australian and New South Wales studs have tasted repeat success in the Royal Melbourne Show supreme interbreed ram and ewe sections.
Allendale Suffolks, Bordertown, SA, took out the the Dalmore trophy for the interbreed champion ram, while Wattle Farm Border Leicesters, Temora, NSW, won the champion ewe – both repeating their 2015 triumph.
The Day family’s Allendale stud also took out the champion suffolk ewe and supreme interbreed shortwool ewe at the recent Adelaide show.
Allendale’s Alistair Day said he believed the winner was a great example of the Suffolk breed as a meat sheep.
“He’s got a nice carcase and he’s structurally correct,” Mr Day said.
“I was hoping he was going to stand out, but I didn’t necessarily know he would.
“I am keeping this ram, we thought he was pretty good, so we are keeping him for our stud.”
Mr Day said it was good to take out the title, two years in a row, which he put down to consistency in the sheep Allendale was breeding.
“I think he was a nice moderate sized ram, he stood up really well in his structure, he had a nice amount of muscle and a nice good shoulder,” Mr Day said.
The ram, under one and a half years old, weighed 119.5 kilograms, had a fat depth of seven millimetres, muscle depth of 49mm, muscle width of 94mm, and muscle area of 35 square centimetres.
I am keeping this ram, we thought he was pretty good, so we are keeping him for our stud.
- Alistair Day, Allendale stud
Judge Ian Cameron, Nundoone, Narromine, NSW said the animal was “a most correct ram, very good on his feet, with a lot of meat through his carcase.”
“The way he stood up, he looked correct.”
Mr Cameron said it was a difficult decision to pick the champion ram, as he and his fellow judges were very impressed with the individual animals vying for the championship.
“In my mind, this was the hardest [judgement to make], and had the most splits between all the judges.”
A Poll Dorset ram from Hillden Poll Dorset stud, NSW, was placed second.
The Hillden ram weighed 145.5kg and recorded figures of a muscle depth of 54mm, muscle width of 108mm and fat scan 9mm.
Allendale also took out the interbreed sire's progeny group with their Poll Dorsets.
In the female section, the judges picked the Border Leicester ewe from Wattle Farm, Temora, NSW, as champion and they put Suffolk from Blue Rock, Romsey, as the reserve.
Wattle Farm’s Jeff Sutton said the August 2015 Border Leicester ewe had already won awards at shows around the country.
It was awarded junior champion ewe and reserve champion ewe at Dubbo, NSW, and supreme longwool champion at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo in July. “She is top class, you never know how they might place, but she is an exceptional sheep,” Mr Sutton said.
“She won’t see any more shows now, she will go back to the paddock, and have a rest, and come back as good next year.
“Competition was tough, I won the interbreed title here, last year, with a ewe, as well – the competition, this year, I thought was tougher. She is a terrific ewe, she has great style and balance, and great fleece of wool, extremely stylish.”
Mr Cameron said picking the champion ewe was easier than the ram.
