Willow Drive South Suffolk wins supreme champion

Willow Drive stud principal Barry Shalders, Grassmere, said his supreme champion ram, Charlie, had good shape and backline, and was a "good ram all around".

"The ram is about two-years-old, he's done pretty well in shows and he's very well put-together," he said.

"He's got supreme at a couple of country shows, one-day shows, and he got reserve in Melbourne when he was one-year-old."

Charlie weighed 128 kilograms, had 49-millimetre muscle depth, 110mm muscle width, 8mm fat and 41.50 per cent eye muscle area.

Australian Sheep & Wool Show South Suffolk judge Doug Deppler said Mr Shalders' ram was "almost faultless".

"He was almost faultless and I say that because a perfect sheep has never breed bred," he said.

"He is standing up exceptionally well on his feet and on his top line for a mature ram with the weight that he's carrying.

"He's backed up by very good scan figures."

He said the champion ewe was a mature ewe and a "very strong animal".

"A very good ewe, again she's a mature ewe and very strong animal, she has the right breed attributes with a good carcase and Barry will be eagerly awaiting to see what lambs she brings," he said.

Mr Shalders said his champion ewe had good length and good body, but wasn't his "first choice".

"She's been to shows before, I shore half a dozen sheep and left five at home," he said.

"Our top ewe would've been here but she had lambs so I had to leave her at home."

He said most of the sheep presented at the ASWS would be at the Melbourne Royal Show.

Mr Deppler said Mr Shalders had a long history of breeding high-quality, strong stud-meat sheep.

"With all due respect, it's unfortunate that there was one exhibitor because that exhibitor is a long-term stalwart of the South Suffolk breed," he said.

"He has been known for breeding top-quality sheep for many years and today his top animals were outstanding, tremendous representatives not only of their breed but of good, stud meat sheep."