Sheep producers from across the state headed to the Victorian Sheep and Wool Show in Ballarat on the weekend to showcase the best of their flocks.
The supreme exhibit at the show went to Glenpaen Merino stud, Brimpaen, who won a multitude of ribbons, including grand champion Merino ram, best Victorian-bred ram and the highest aggregate for fine Merino classes.
Stud principal at Glenpaen Rod Miller said he was proud of his win.
"It feels great to win and you can't buy sort of stuff over the shelf," he said.
"It also gives a great warm fuzzy feeling that lets you know that you're going down the right track with your breeding philosophies."
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Mr Miller said the winning ram the son of the supreme sheep at the 2019 Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo.
"That's the best thing to see in your breeding - knowing that the ram genes have spread on," he said.
"We try to breed a big fine medium Merino with doing ability and good white waxy wool to handle rainfall and if you can get all those things together, you have you've got a pretty good animal,
"Mind you it's a hard effort to get that doing ability and good wool together as both of those things are trying to fight against one another."
Mr Miller said he is looking forward to the national show at Bendigo, and that it will be "a different ballgame" to the Ballarat show.
"We will definitely see the best of the best at the Bendigo show," he said.
"To be honest I am still pinching myself that we won the supreme exhibit in 2019 ... it was incredible and hopefully we can do it again one day."
The winners of the grand champion ewe went to Wurrook Merino stud, Rokewood, with stud principal Paul Walton saying they were delighted with the result, as the same ewe also won grand champion Merino ewe at Horsham.
"You never know if you're going to go alright, but it's great to know that your sheep are competitive," he said.
Mr Walton said he tried to keep his breeding as simple as possible and a good start was to simply "get to a correct physical correctness and wool quality".
"The show is a good way to compare the shape just yourself to make sure you're keeping up with everyone else and see where the standard is at too," he said.
Other major winners included Bright Side Poll Dorset stud, Purnim, who took out the Poll Dorset champion ram while Glenore Poll Dorset stud, Carisbrook, took out the Poll Dorset champion ram.
The Flinders College Corriedale stud, Tyabb, took out champion Corriedale ewe, while Gambier View Corriedale stud, Derrinallum, took out the champion Corriedale ram category.
Both the champion Border Leicester ram and ewe were awarded to Jackson Farming stud, Moyston.
