Canberra Royal 2025: Interstate raid pays off for endangered breed

A 2400-kilometre trip to compete at the Royal Canberra Show has paid off with a supreme title.

Dorset Downs breeders Andrew and Amanda Vernon, Averlane Genetics, Mount Hallan, Qld, made the long trip with their sheep, first claiming the champion and reserve champion ewe sashes in the Any Other Breed contest, before going on to win the supreme accolade.

The Vernons run about 25 Dorset Down ewes, which is a little more than 20 per cent of the national registrations of the "critically endangered" breed.

Ms Vernon said they had originally "stumbled" across the breed on Gumtree before later founding out more about them, including their endangered status.

"I'm an ag teacher so I like the idea of conserving and saving genetics," she said.

They also want to breed good sheep.

The ewe, from the 1.5-year and older class, had previously won the interbreed champion at a local show in Queensland, so they were keen to see how it would stand up against other competition.

This was their first time showing at Canberra, necessiting a 1200-kilometre trip each way with their Dorset Downs and Suffolks.

"We wanted to come and bring sheep to a southern show to compete in larger line ups," Ms Vernon said.

"We wanted to get feedback and see how we can continue to improve our breeding program."

She said the breed was known for its "good length, depth and width" and being naturally marbling on grass.

"They're a really hardy breed," she said.

"They do well in our Qld conditions where they can get everything from 500 millimetres of rain in a space of a week to a few months with no rain. They just seem to thrive."

Judge Kelvin Cronk, Old Junee, said selecting a supreme winner in the contest was particularly tricky.

"They're different sexes, different ages, different breeds but two magnificent sheep," he said.

He said the Dorset Downs had good meat cover, good length and stood well.

The champion ram went to a particularly young Aussies Downs ram, shown by Cotties Run, Bathurst.

Mr Cronk praised the September-drop ram for its "great weight for age".

"That young fella had all the attributes to develop into a grand sire," he said.

The ram, bred by Ross and Janet Wilson, was sired by two Sydney Royal winners.

The Wilsons have been breeding Aussie Downs for nearly 20 years, first coming across the "friendly" animals while buying some other ewes.

The Aussie Downs have links in the Texel and Southdown breeds.

Dr Wilson said they are concentrating on adding a little more "scale" to their sheep.

"We've got the meat, now we need more scale," he said.

He said the rams had a good market in prime lamb production, particularly joined with Composite or first-cross ewes.

The reserve champion ram went to an English Leicester shown by Kiah Kilbinbin, East Gippsland, Vic.