High five for high profile stud in SA Champion Ram of the Year judging
Three studs shared in the spoils of the judging held at the Elders SA Stud Merino Expo at Burra yesterday.
For the fifth year on the trot, Collinsville Stud Merinos, Hallett, earned the SA Champion Ram of the Year title, and this year $6000 in prize money from Elders.
The Meyer family, Mulloorie, Brinkworth and Tintinara, came out on top in the SA Pair judging with its horned Merino and ewe duo, awarded a Universal Feeder.
The Ashby family, North Ashrose, Gulnare, was successful in the pen of ram lambs judging with a team of three 10-month-old, September-shorn Poll Merinos.
Collinsville edged out a Mulloorie Poll Merino for the Champion Ram title, judged by Greg Andrew, ex-Hamilton Run stud owner, Jamestown, and also captured third place with another Poll of its own.
Collinsville general manager Tim Dalla said their Poll Merino champion, Collinsville Lustre 565, was living up to its prestigious pedigree and imperious showing record.
The embryo-bred May 2023-drop ram was the Australian Sheep and Wool Show Grand Champion March-shorn Poll Merino Ram at Bendigo, Vic, the Riverina Hogget Ram of the Year, the Northern SA Merino Expo Champion Hogget Ram at Jamestown, and the March-shorn Grand Champion Poll Merino title at the Royal Adelaide in 2024.
Weighing in at 155 kilograms, Lustre 565 carries a 20.7 micron fleece with a 3.4 standard deviation, 16.6 coefficient of variation and 99.1 per cent comfort factor.
The ram was sired by Lustre 33, a ram which Collinsville sold in 2021 for $88,000 to Lach River, Darby's Falls, NSW, and Westray, Peak Hill, NSW, and his dam an Emperor 351 daughter that was part of the winning SA pair in 2022.
"He has a great outlook, with terrific bone and structure," Mr Dalla said.
"Short pasterns and short feet, top line, purity in the poll, purity in the muzzle, and he has a power of white 20 micron wool on him, which is what we're aiming for."
Judge Greg Andrews said it was hard to split the top two, but he went with the more "substantial all-round sheep".
"It has very good bone as Collinsville are known for. It's well-finished and will cut a power of wool, and has quite a bit of staple length," he said.
Mr Andrews said the runner-up was "lovely and balanced, beautifully white and fault-free".
Mulloorie, which has enjoyed its fair share of success in the showring of late, came up trumps in the pair judging with a 20-month-old Merino ram sired by Mulloorie Monty, and a 20-month-old show ewe sired by Barloo.
The ram carried a 21.2 micron fleece, with 3.2 SD, 14.9 CV, and 99.3pc CF. The ewe had a 20.7 micron fleece, with 3.0 SD, 14.5 CV, and 99.4 CF.
The August-shorn pair edged out North Ashrose, who collected both second and third placings.
Mr Andrews said the Mulloorie group was "very well-balanced".
"You put them side on, which shows you everything about sheep, and they stand very well, stand very square," he said.
"They're very well-finished, very white in their wools and are a great pair."
Mr Andrews said the North Ashrose pairs were balanced and fault-free, with beautiful long-stapled wools on a meaty frame.
North Ashrose did come up trumps in the pen of ram lambs judging with three 10-month-old, September-shorn Poll Merinos.
Two of the three were brothers, sired by Gunallo 463.
The three had fleece micron measurements of 18.9, 18.2 and 17.7 respectively.
The judging was the cherry on top of the two-day Elders SA Stud Merino Expo.
Ten studs - Collinsville, Glenowie, Greenfields, Greenfields Karalee, Gum Hill, Nyowee, Old Ashrose, Pindari, Springvale North, and Whitehill, held on-property displays of their finest genetics on day one in the Mid North.
15 studs - Glenville, Mullorie, Greenfields, Roemahkita, Collinsville & East Bungaree, Morley, Wyara, Collandra, Allala, Sharlu Park, Moorundie Park, Rices Creek, Glenowie, Springvale North and North Ashrose - showcasing their best rams and ewes on day two at Burra Oval.
