Renowned breeder praises sheep show Southdowns as 'excelling' in quality

Renowned Southdown breeder Graeme Hooper, Goorambat East, has congratulated breeders on the standard of animals exhibited at this year's Australian Sheep & Wool Show.

Mr Hooper, principal of the Clear Hills stud which was founded by his father in 1928, judged the Southdown section this year.

He chose a ram and ewe from Chandpara, Tylden, as his two champions.

"Breeders excelled in the quality they brought out, which made it a bit difficult, but we sorted it out in the end," he said.

He ended up picking a rising two-year-old ram from Chandpara as the supreme champion.

"His loin is just superior, the length and depth of it is marvellous," he said.

"When you come to the choice cut of the lamb, that's really important."

"The four-tooth ram had nice length, a balanced body and walked and moved really well and freely."

He said the ram's red meat yield also stood out.

"He will do somewhere around 52 per cent with his lambs, if he is joined to a commercial," he said.

"It will be free and easy lambing, because his shoulders are set nicely and easily to produce the lamb, so he has a future in the industry, for sure."

The July 2023-drop ram, Chandpara 188/23, was home-bred.

Chandpara stud principal Andrew Sellars-Jones said he was pleased to win both the champion ram and ewe.

"[The ram] is structurally very sound," Mr Sellars-Jones said.

"He has a great hindquarter on him, he parades very well and is a very good breeder with great fertility.

"He has a lot going for him."

The ram will now be set for the Elite Show and Sale in September.

Mr Sellars-Jones said the ewe was a "very showy type of ewe that catches the eye wherever she goes".

Mr Hooper said he did not expect sheep prices to drop anytime soon.

"I don't know if we've seen the top yet," he said.

"Good lamb is scarce, and that's all down to seasonal conditions none of us have control over.

"There won't be a huge change until numbers get back up again, and I don't know that's going to happen this spring."

He said nearly all the lambs that were making big money had been "fed on" with grain.

"There are a lot of specialists out there that do that, but one of the things we like to promote with Southdowns is they are best off mum, and they may not be the biggest lamb in the market, but you are paying for the choicest lamb," he said.

"That is always the best one to eat."