The judge described the supreme Suffolk exhibit at the Elite White Suffolk and Suffolk show as an “unbelievable ewe, one of the best Suffolk ewes I’ve seen”.
And it wasn’t the first time the ewe, exhibited by Closeup stud at Finley, NSW, has caught the eye of judge Paul Routley, Almondvale stud, Urana, NSW, before.
Mr Routley also saw it at the Elders Riverina Sheep Expo in Deniliquin, NSW, last month, where it went onto be the first Suffolk ewe to win the Performance Ewe of the Year title in the expo’s 10-year history.
The ewe weighed 129.5 kilograms, had a muscle depth of 52 millimetres and muscle width of 96mm, with 18mm of fat.
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Mr Routley said the ewe had “beautiful skin, beautiful head, great long soft ears, deep muzzle, paraded exceptionally well and [was] extremely well balanced”.
The ewe went onto be supreme Suffolk exhibit before facing off against the supreme White Suffolk ram from Baringa for overall supreme of the show.
While the ewe got pipped at the post by the ewe, exhibitor Charlotte Close said the ewe was actually a granddaughter of a Baringa ram.
Judge at the Deni expo Ben Prentice, Kurralea stud, Ariah Park, NSW, must have also taken a liking to the ewe, purchasing it for $1500 at the Elite White Suffolk and Suffolk ram sale, held in Bendigo in conjunction with the show.
Closeup also exhibited the grand champion and reserve champion Suffolk rams.
Mr Routley said the champion was “a huge ram, but in saying that balanced, not too fat”.
“For the size of the ram he was balanced, extremely long, great loin, great top line, paraded very well and a very very proud ram,” he said.
The ram weighed 162kg, with a 54mm muscle depth, 112mm muscle width and 11mm of fat.
It had already been sold prior to the show, to help establish a new stud a Goolagong, NSW, and would head to its new home after the show.
The reserve champion ram, along with the supreme ewe, will be offered at the event’s sale on Sunday.
Mr Routley said the depth of the breeding in the 70 Suffolks exhibited was impressive.
“Their softeness in their skin and their doability is certainly helping to keep them up in the prime lamb industry,” he said.
