'Family affair' sees Hillend win big at ASWS with sensational Dorset Horns

The Hillend Dorsets team won big at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show on Friday with their sensational Dorset Horns.

Set up in 1931, the Clarkes Hill stud is the oldest in Australia and is keeping up the fight to see the breed into the future.

The stud's show team was exhibited by Judith Grieve and her daughters Caitlin and Eleanor while husband Robert Grieve was busy judging in the Merino shed nearby.

The family took home the top Dorset Horn ribbons, securing the champion ewe, champion ram and most successful exhibitor titles.

There was no supreme sheep of the breed.

Eleanor said she was "absolutely" delighted with the family's success.

"It's always special winning in Bendigo," she said.

The Timberlea Dorset Horn stud, Strathmerton, also exhibited on Friday, and Eleanor said it was great to have their competition.

Hillend's champion ram was exhibit 1138, an April 2024-drop lamb which Eleanor said was a "terrific example of the breed".

"He's upstanding, he has a great carcase to him and his head is just really true to type," she said.

"You can really just see that Dorset structure throughout him, which is pretty special to see when there's such a small gene pool now."

There are approximately 12 registered Dorset Horn studs remaining in Australia.

Judge Sally Scott, Coolac, NSW, breeds Poll Dorset sheep and said the Dorset Horns rivalled the more numerous breed for carcase.

Ms Scott said the champion ram had "meat and depth" throughout.

"His carcase had meat everywhere you'd want it to be," she said.

"He's very strong, and he just had the perfect Dorset Horn head to him.

"He paraded really well."

She said she couldn't pick a better ram from the breed.

Hillend's champion ewe was exhibit 1144, also an April-2024 drop sheep.

Caitlin said the top ewe was "beautiful".

"She's very feminine and yet still has all the strength that you want in a Dorset," she said.

"That's what a prime lamb breed is for, but her head is beautiful and feminine, and her horn set is fabulous."

Caitlin said the young ewe paraded "very nicely" in front of Ms Scott.

Judith said the stud was a family operation in which her and Mr Grieve's daughters had become fundamental.

"It's a family effort, but it is the girls who do all the work now, and they're taking over from Robert," she said.

"They love it equally, and they love the history and the legacy that goes with the stud.

"It's the oldest continually registered stud in Australia.

"The gene pool is getting pretty small but Robert has managed to keep it going."

Despite the low number of exhibitors, Ms Scott said she was very impressed with the standard of the Dorset Horns at Bendigo.

"Considering the season that the majority of people have gone through this year, we have an unreal line-up of sheep," she said.