Tintern Grammar has sold Romney semen to Kazakhstan, in what farm services manager Gavin Wall has described as "a significant achievement for a small stud run on six hectares in the middle of suburbia".
Mr Wall said the ram, named Hugo, was selected by the Kazakhstan government for artificial insemination use on the local sheep to improve their dual purpose attributes.
"Initially the Kazakhstan government came to Australia with a shopping list of five sheep breeds, [but] after seeing the credentials of Hugo he was the sole ram selected," he said.
"The sale clincher was based on the provision of a five-generation pedigree, above average LambPlan performance data, wool data, health status, photographs, show records and other relevant information."
Tintern Hugo 607 is a son of Doughboy 227/13 (T), a New Zealand Romney sire with impressive carcase traits and out of a half sister of Tintern Elmo 328 (T).
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Elmo, known for his impressive wool quality and quantity, has been used by several Australian studs and two in New Zealand.
The Tintern Romney stud was established in 1986 and is run on the school farm in Ringwood East.
Mr Wall said the livestock production department at the Kazakhstan Agrarian University, located at Almaty, is so impressed with the information about Hugo that they have already ordered half the shipment of Hugo semen and are now expressing an interest in Romney embryos.
He said Hugo had been champion Romney ram at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo and the Royal Melbourne Show.
The semen was shipped to Kazakhstan last month and has already been used in an AI program with local ewes.
The sale was facilitated by Ian Keene who has well-established connections within the sheep and cattle industry in Kazakhstan.