Finley High School students are reigning champions after winning most major prizes in the Poll Dorset category at the Melbourne Royal Show.
Finley High School Year 10 student Cheyenne Tucker, Finley, NSW, said she's rapt after winning both grand champion ram, Ulysses, and grand champion ewe, Talia, and for her "special" ram to make supreme exhibit.
She said she has been studying agriculture since Year Seven, but started studying sheep in 2022.
"I led him at his first show, I have a special connection with him," she said.
"At the start of this year at Cowra, Poll Dorsets, I placed third with him.
"I'm very excited, it's my first time doing the rams at the Melbourne Royal Show."
Finley High School won Poll Dorset supreme champion at the 2022 Melbourne Royal Show.
Finley High School agriculture teacher Gary Webb said showing was part of their program to help engage students in agriculture.
He said there were 31 students attending during the sheep showing, and they developed a mentorship program with senior and junior students.
"We've had a great start to the Melbourne Royal Show, we've been bringing cattle and sheep here every year, this year we have 16 steers, 12 sheep and next week there will be about 11 stud cattle as well," he said.
"It just enables the students to experience the big show and encourages them to be involved in agriculture."
Mr Webb said the supreme exhibit ram was sired by Hillden 110, which was a "fantastic ram" and they had semen donated.
"He is really something special, at the Australian Poll Dorset Show the grand champion ewe was also a lamb, and her sire was this ram's father," he said.
"It's been through consistent support from other Poll Dorset breeders, Ian Grey was a great supporter initially, since then we have the Frost family from Hillden, they supply us with semen for about 12 years for our breeding program out of their top rams.
"We can join about 27 ewes a year and that's big for us because land is at a premium."
He said they also had strong hopes for the ewe, which was a reserve champion Poll Dorset ewe at the Cowra, New South Wales' Poll Dorset fare.
Ms Tucker said she hoped to develop her own cattle stud after school, and felt excited at the prospect after being part of a most successful exhibitor team at Finley High School.
She lives on her family farm with Speckle Park cattle.
"I'm going to start a stud, I'm going to go to cattle and do Poll Herefords," she said.
"I've just always been interested in them."
Poll Dorset judge, Pinnacle Suffolk stud principal Nick Lawrence, Bordertown, SA, said the ram lamb was the best Poll Dorset in the breed category for its top line and breeding.
"The ram lamb is an April-drop ram lamb shown in the wool, he's 88.5 kilograms, he's 42 in the eye muscle, he carries himself very well and has an excellent top line and breed type," he said
"Overall, he was the best Poll Dorset I could find here today."
He said the ewe was very correct, with similarly-excellent traits, but the ram lamb's power put him above to win supreme.
"Finley High School were the most successful exhibitors and took out most of the major prizes, they did very well," he said.
"They're a great group of kids backed up by people with very good sheep knowledge."
Rachel Simmonds
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
