Shropshire champion hopes to follow veteran breeder's footsteps at the ASWS

A new Shropshire breeder who plans to carry the breed into the future has won the breed's supreme champion ribbon at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.

The Aurora Park stud ewe won the ribbon while also taking home the title of champion ewe against two other exhibitors.

The winning stud was passed down to Matt Hill, Horsham, from long-time Shropshire breeder Marilyn Mangione, Strathbogie.

While he has only been breeding Shropshires for three years, he now runs 30 breeding ewes that are set to lamb a week after the show.

"I bought my Shropshires from Marilyn, but I first encountered the breed at my school, which had Shropshires a long time ago," he said.

"They're just a really structurally sound animal.

"They just got the type of structure you're looking for, just full of meat and quite solid."

Ms Mangione has been breeding Shropshires for the last 23 years and is dedicated to ensuring the breed thrives in the future.

Now in her late 70s, she has started to reduce her breeding numbers.

She said she could breathe a huge sigh of relief after passing the Shropshire torch to Mr Hill.

"When I started breeding them in 2002, I was still working and farming on the weekends," she said.

"And I thought 'what am I doing?'.

"So, it's great that Matt has taken up the Shropshire flag."

Mr Hill said Shropshires were a sturdy breed that could thrive in any environment and were ideal for grazing in orchards and vineyards.

"Shropshires thrive everywhere," he said.

"Marilyn and I are in completely different climates.

"I'm in the plain country, and she is in the hills.

"And we've met halfway in Bendigo for the show, and her previous reserve champion ram is continuing on with me."

Judge Caitlin Grieve, Clarkes Hill, chose the winning ewe for its structure and femininity.

"She stands up very nicely and has an all-out great structure," she said.

"She's just gone above the ram today, and I think she's lovely."

Mr Hill said the breed had seen a recent resurgence, with flock numbers doubling.

"It's mainly because of Marilyn's doing, because she's done a lot of work promoting Shropshires and getting them into vineyards or orchards," he said.

"Because they're just a brilliant breed for eating grass without eating from the trees, because their legs are a little bit shorter."

The reserve champion ewe was awarded to Rebecca Walsh, Timor, with her Acorn Creek stud, while Mr Hill's Aurora Park Shropshire ram beat one of Ms Mangione's Clarendon stud rams for champion ram.