South Australian stud dominates at Hay Merino Sheep Show

A South Australian strong wool champion ram reigned supreme at the 2025 Hay Merino Sheep Show on Saturday.

The 700 kilometre trip from Hallett in SA paid off for Collinsville, which claimed supreme exhibit with its ram, along with grand champion ewe and the most successful exhibitor in the stud section.

Under the eye of judges Steve Phillips, Cunningar, David Zouch, Crookwell, and Philip Russell, Katanning, Western Australia, Collinsville Imperial 69 was awarded the Bill Lamb Perpetual Trophy for supreme champion.

The ram was the housed August-shorn strong wool champion, before claiming the Bob and Anne Rollinson Perpetual Trophy for grand champion ram.

Tim Dalla, Collinsville, said the ram was sired by Imperial 328, which had won grand champion March-shorn Poll Merino at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, Vic, and the Royal Adelaide Show in 2022.

"He's a big sheep with lots of good wool and a beautiful, sirey muzzle," he said.

In February, he recorded a micron of 19.7 and a comfort factor of 99.5 per cent.

Hay Merino Sheep Show champions

Pictures by Alexandra Bernard

The grand champion ram, which will now be shown in Bendigo in July, claimed the supreme title ahead of the grand champion ewe, Collinsville 554.

Mr Dalla said the ewe, embryo-bred by Emperor 351, was a "fantastic matron" with depth, width and volume, and recorded a micron 19.7 in February.

He said the grand champion ewe, along with the champion medium wool ewe, Collinsville 5433, will be up for auction at the Bendigo ram sale.

Mr Dalla said this would be a first for the stud.

"It is a one-off opportunity to put four embryo donor quality Collinsville ewes for sale," he said.

It was a very successful show for Collinsville, which also claimed the champion hogget ewe with Collinsville 405.

Mr Dalla said the ewe had big early growth and excellent structure, which typified what Collinsville aimed to breed.

The stud runs 10,000 stud ewes, selling 1500 to 2000 rams a year.

"We aim to breed big, robust sheep with great constitution and cut a lot of good quality wool," he said.

Judge Mr Russell said the ewe had plenty of depth of body and good quality wool.

The Riverina Wool Australian Champion Hogget Merino Ram was awarded to Poll Boonoke Sefton.

Justin Campbell, Australian Food and Agriculture, Deniliquin, said he was a beautiful, stretchy, pure, soft, medium wool ram.

"He stands magnificent on all fours and he's got white, soft lustre wool that's tremendous," he said.

The March-shorn ram recorded a micron of 20.7, standard deviation of 3.1, coefficient of variation of 15.0pc and a comfort factor of 99.7pc.

Mr Campbell said the ram will be shown in Bendigo and then used in the stud's AI program at the end of the year.

Judge Mr Phillips said the ram, which claimed the title ahead of the Victorian winner from Terrick West, Prairie, and South Australian winner from Collandra North, Tumby Bay, was "magnificent".

"Well-shaped, beautiful wool - a very good ram in today's market," he said.

In other housed stud classes, Collinsville claimed the medium wool ram with Collinsville 230333, and the medium wool ewe with Collinsville 5433.

Oakbank Merino and Poll Merino stud, Gre Gre North, Vic, was awarded the champion pen of three stud rams and the Neilson Mills Memorial Trophy for best exhibitor of five sheep.

In the open stud section, the champion strong wool March shorn ewe was awarded to Mulloorie Merino and Poll Merino stud, Brinkworth, SA, for Mulloorie 1453.

The ewe went on to claim the champion March-shorn ewe ahead of the medium wool March-shorn ewe champion Willandra 240042, exhibited by Willandra Merinos, Jerilderie.

The champion March-shorn ram was Collandra North 377, exhibited by Collandra North Poll Merino stud, Tumby Bay, SA.

The medium wool champion claimed the title ahead of the strong wool March-shorn champion, Collinsville 5438.

The pen of three ewes was awarded to Terrick West, Prairie, Vic, which also won the dual-purpose pen of three rams.

In the flock section, the most successful hay district exhibitor was awarded to Burrabogie, Hay, while Piney Range, Walbundrie, claimed most successful flock exhibitor.

The most successful unhoused exhibitor went to Woodpark Poll, Hay.