Glenara, Tamaleuca Merino studs win supreme Sheepvention gongs

The two-year-old horned Merino ram, named Henry, attracted the eyes of judges on Sunday less than a month after the family won the grand champion ultrafine Merino ram class at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo.

Glenara Merino stud Trevor Mibus, Dunkeld, said the stud had sold semen shares from the ram since the July accolade.

"He was sired by a ram named Ford, and while I'm a Holden person, we had to come up with a suitable name so we called him Henry," he said..

"To win your home show is always special.

"In 2019, we had never won a supreme ram and we've actually won three in a row here now in 2019, with no shows in 2020 and 2021, and we won last year and this year."

Mr Mibus, who was at the show with his wife Kathy and their children Jacob and Rachel, said shows like Sheepvention gave studs across Victoria a chance to benchmark their studstock against the industry's best.

"We've been selling semen out of him since Bendigo, and there's lambs on the ground from this ram at the moment from people who have used him early on after he was on display at last year's ram sale," he said.

"He will be shorn this year and then he will head off to the AI centre."

Conditions in western Victoria have started to dry out in recent weeks, allowing the grass to start growing.

Mr Mibus said he liked the sash-winning ram for a number of reasons.

"This sheep is so pure and he stands so well, so when he's out getting judged, you don't have to worry about him standing because he just stands naturally well," he said.

"He has a big strong head and muzzle which tells you a lot about his body, and he has that wool that's even from the top of his body to the even."

Meanwhile, Tamaleuca Merino stud principals Kevin and Danni Crook, Ouyen, took out the supreme Merino ewe ribbon with a two-year-old polled exhibit.

The Crooks were also named the most successful exhibitors of the show after winning several sashes through the exhibition.

"She has bulk, purity of wool, a really good, long staple and is very well covered, especially for a poll ewe," Mr Crook said.

"She's been everywhere lately, including Queensland in May where she won grand champion poll ewe, won grand champion ewe at Hay, NSW, came close in Ballarat and then here at Hamilton."

The Crooks have travelled the eastern seaboard in recent years to exhibit their Merinos, including two trips to Queensland, as the pair look to grow the profile of the stud.

"It's our hobby too, it fits in all together because we love travelling and meeting people at shows," Mr Crook said.

"This ewe won't be going anywhere, but she will be off to the show in Adelaide in a couple of weeks and then we will bring her home and find a special ram for her."

Sheepvention Merino judge James Collins, Mt Bute Merino stud, Linton, said it was a tough task to assess the Sheepvention exhibitions.

"It was a very high-class showing with a good quality of sheep," he said.

"The ram grand champion ram stood out due to his outstanding wool, with a long staple, even, well-balanced and all of that was on a fantastic, even structure.

"The ewe from Tamaleuca was probably the biggest in the line up, with a long, deep staple and she was just a fantastic overall ewe."

Mr Collins described Merinos as the "building block" of the Australian sheep industry, and noted it was a very even line of sheep throughout the show.

"If you don't have a Merino, you can't diversify your wool or really leverage that dual-purpose ability," he said.

Overall 2023 Sheepvention Merino champions: