Wollondale Hampshire Down stud had its most successful showing ever at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo, taking home three of the broad ribbons awarded in the interbreeding judging.
Stud manager Matthew Sherwood, Towrang, NSW, said it was “awesome” to have this amount of success in the interbreed judging and they hadn’t expected it.
The ram came through the Hampsire Down ram under 1.5 years, born between April and June, class and went onto win supreme Australian Prime Lamb breeds exhibit and champion heritage breed prime lamb exhibit. It was also part of the Southern Tablelands-based stud’s supreme Australian prime lamb group, with ewes that were sashed champion Hampshire Down ewe and reserve champion.
Mr Sherwood said the heritage breeds’ feature show had a great atmosphere. He said at Wollondale, they bred Hampshire Downs to be true to type and keep the heritage breed characteristics while ensuring they are commercially viable – with low birth weights, high growth and high meat yield.
Stud principal Bron Ellis, Sweetfield Corriedales, Mount Moriac, was thrilled to win supreme Australian long wool exhibit (with a ram) and group.
“I’ve never won supreme in the interbreed before and I never dreamed I would,” Ms Ellis said, adding they’ve been showing for 19 years.
“I’m very honoured.”
The ram, which also come out of the under 1.5 year-old class, was also part of the winning group. On its dam side, it goes back to a ram San Diego – with which the Ellis family last won supreme Corriedale, 10 years ago. The winning ram was sired by a Croydon ram with New Zealand blood in its pedigree.
Yesterday, Ms Ellis said the wins were “still sinking in” and she said she will probably retain the “beautiful” ram in the stud and would consider marketing its semen.
The champion Heritage Breed longwool exhibit was awarded to Koenarl stud, Koenarl, Timboon, with their English Leicester ewe.
The Van Niekerk’s Dell Dorpers and African White Dorpers’ group was crowned champion cleanskin group.
Australian Sheep Breeders Association president Ross McGauchie said, by all reports, the show was a success. He said sheep entry numbers were comparable to last year and there was a lot of wok done – including with sheep classifications on Thursday night – to make the condensed timetable possible.
“The work done by volunteers is terrific.
“And the crowds were strong and holding the ram sale on Sunday was a huge success.”