Poll Merino with 'scale' takes supreme win during state sheep show judging

A four-tooth medium wool ram with "plenty of scale" has claimed the supreme title in the Merino and Poll Merino judging at the NSW State Sheep Show at Dubbo on Friday, May 30.

The Poll Merino ram, tag 240389, from Wealla stud, Balladoran, was sashed the winner by judge James Barron, Adina Merino, Peak View.

Mr Barron said it was the scale of the August-shorn ram that placed him ahead of the ewe in the supreme judging.

"He's long, with beautiful rich crimpy wool, and well covered," he said.

"He's got a big barrel and heavy wool."

Wealla principal Stuart McBurnie said the ram had been an eye-catcher from a ram lamb.

As a ram lamb, he had been reserve champion medium wool March-shorn ram at the Dubbo National Merino Show.

"He's got big eye muscle and a lot of growth," Mr McBurnie said.

The ram will go on to compete at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show and the Dubbo National later this year, before he is joined with Wealla ewes in its stud program.

His sire, Poll Boonoke 612, was a new genetic line for the stud.

The grand champion ewe of the show was a superfine Merino entry from Bocoble stud, Eumungerie.

Mr Barron said she was a "very feminine ewe".

"She stands well on her feet and is well finished underneath," he said.

Bocoble's Hayden Cox said the 2023-drop ewe, bred from the stud's Ringmaster family, was actually an ultrafine ewe, with a 15.5 micron fleece.

"She has a really good finish for an ultrafine ewe and will cut plenty of wool for that micron," he said.

This was the March-shorn ewe's second outing at a show, after previously being sashed reserve champion ultrafine ewe of the show at the Great Southern Supreme Merino Show at Bathurst in February.

Bocoble also exhibited the champion Poll Merino ram, another young March-shorn finewool entry.

The champion Merino ram was the March-shorn winner, tag 0131, from Towonga, Peak Hill, out of the finewool class, and sired by a Towonga ram.

The champion Poll Merino March-shorn ram, also from Towonga, tag 1252, was sired by a Darriwell ram and was out of the medium/strong class.

The champion March-shorn ewe was shown by Roseville Park, Dubbo.