Supreme Champion: Tullamore Park, Donald, Vic
Champion ram: Tullamore Park
Reserve champion Ram: Mertex, Antwerp, Vic
Champion ewe: Tara, Rockley, NSW
Reserve champion ewe: Mertex
Most successful exhibitor: Mertex
IMPORTING New Zealand Texel semen paid dividends for the Tullamore Park, Donald, stud, when it took out this year’s Supreme Champion ribbon, at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.
Tullamore Park co-principal Liz Russsell said the stud got in just in time, with the Broadgate stud semen, imported for a 2016 drop.
“Australia has now put a ban on the import of semen, from New Zealand, because they have brought English Texel’s into New Zealand and they won’t allow imports,” Ms Russell said.
The winning ram weighed 101.5 kilograms and had figures of four point five millimetres of fat and a muscle area of 49mm.
“It’s another bloodline for us; they carry a lot of meat and are a very balanced sheep.
“It’s clicked really well for us, with four of the five rams we brought here coming from the New Zealand progeny, so we are quite pleased.”
Judge, Graham Day, said the champion ram had a great deal of sire power.
“He is long, he is a beautiful headed ram, a proud ram on parade and his figures are very good,” Mr Day said.
“He’s got more muscle in him than perhaps you would think.”
