Sweetfield, Gambier View Corriedale studs win supreme Sheepvention exhibition

The dual-purpose benefits of the breed was a focal point of the judging at the Hamilton Showgrounds on Sunday as Gambier View Corriedale stud and Sweetfield Corriedale stud shared the accolades of best-presented sheep.

Gambier View Corriedale stud, Derrinallum, won the supreme ram exhibit with Gambier View Hodgie, an August/September 2020-drop ram, while Sweetfield Corriedale stud, Mount Moriac, won the supreme ewe exhibit with a maiden ewe which had two lambs at foot.

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Gambier View Corriedale stud principal Milton Savage said Hodgie would be retained by the stud, two weeks after winning the senior champion exhibit at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo.

"He's a very good carcase sheep with an excellent soft-handling, medium-micron wool," he said.

Semen shares from the ram will be offered to the market as the stud plans to join the supreme champion to mid-micron Corriedale ewes to "help improve the carcase of the sheep and overall lambing percentages".

"The stud was founded in 1951 in Mount Gambier, SA, by my grandfather so our son, Charlie, will be fourth generation and he's playing a big part in the stud now," Mr Savage said.

"Our focus is based around lambing percentages and growth rates and the factors that make money in the sheep breed."

Mr Savage said he backed the breed's wool-producing ability despite the low price for clip.

"We are sticking with our wool, and I know stronger-micron wools aren't making much, but we're still cutting around the $20 a head for our wool," he said.

"If we stick with what we're doing and when the wool prices do come back, and they will, we'll be well ahead of where we've been."

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Sweetfield Corriedale stud principal Bron Ellis said she was rapt with her ewe's performance.

"She's an exceptional ewe and she has a good carcase considering she's got twins on her," she said.

"She's kept her wool with 27 micron at Bendigo and she has two ripper lambs, a ram and a ewe, who are both in good condition."

Ms Ellis, who will retain the ewe, started the stud in 1998 when her son, who was 10 years old at the time, started showing an interest in sheep.

"I'd always had Corriedales as a young girl but then got married and had a boy so we didn't have anything," she said.

"I took my son to the Melbourne Sheep & Wool Show and said 'you pick' so he picked a Corriedale and that's how it basically started."

Corriedale judge Wayne Munro, Nulkwyne, Grassdale, said he was impressed with the appeal of the breed's wool, including its softness.

"The breeders have done a lot to get rid of the crinkle factor and to focus on the comfort factor so that's worked really well," he said.

"These are true dual-purpose sheep and the winners, Gambier View and Sweetfield, were exceptional sheep and perfect examples of the Corriedale breed.

"They still standout in their wool production at 25-28-micron wool for the likes of blankets and jumpers along with the ability to use them over crossbred sheep."

Mr Munro said Corriedales provided many benefits in the industry, especially when joined to crossbred ewes.

"At the moment, crossbred wool is copping a flogging and in many circumstances, it's not even paying for the shearing," he said.

"So the ability to use a Corriedale over these crossbreds to create a better product to sell is terrific."