HAMPSHIRE DOWNS
Supreme: Aurora Park stud, St Helens Plains.
Champion ram: Aurora Park
Champion ewe: Aurora Park
SOUTH Australian judge Peter Button told exhibitors in the Hampshire Downs section he had a strong view on the type of sheep he was hoping to find.
Aurora Park filled the bill and scooped the pool, in winning champion ram, ewe and supreme exhibit.
"I wasn't going to be looking for the bigger sheep, by any means," Mr Button said.
"I was going to be looking for carcase, balance, structure, and the cleanness of the points."
He said the winning ram had all those attributes.
"When you see him in the walking ring, he parades very well, he stands naturally, stands beautifully, nice and wide and deep," he said.
"There are not too many faults on him.
"He ticks a lot of the boxes I was looking for."
The ram weighed 140.5 kilograms, had a 10-millimetre fat depth, 58mm muscle depth, 106mm muscle width and 47.3-square centimetre muscle area.
Aurora Park's Mathew Hill said he believed the judge was impressed by "the sheer back end of the animal".
"He has a very large hindquarter, and was a real, stand-out ram, early on," Mr Hill said.
"He always had that, compared with the other rams.
"He has followed through with a good structure, he stood up and presented himself well."
The ram was likely to be sold to another stud, while semen was earmarked for New Zealand and possibly Argentina.
"As soon as he clears the show, he's going to the collection centre," he said.