Orrie Cowie bags medium wool ribbons in Bendigo with 'very similar' sheep

Pictures by Petra Oates and Barry Murphy

Orrie Cowie Merino and Poll Merino stud, Nhill, delivered in the August-shorn medium wool classes at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, with a grand champion win for both their ram and ewe.

Of the 34 head show team brought by the combined Orrie Cowrie and Glendonald studs, Orrie Cowrie stud principal John Dalla said the grand champion August-shorn medium wool ram was his top pick.

"I think the judges got it pretty right from what we thought of them," Mr Dalla said.

"They've got plenty of wool weight and plenty of body weight, and they carry it well."

The ram had a 20.3-micron fleece and the ewe had a 20-micron fleece.

"They're very similar sheep," Mr Dalla said.

Both the Orrie Cowrie and Glendonald studs were chasing big sheep with plenty of weight, growth and muscle, and a wool cut to match.

And big sheep they were, weighing in at 156 kilograms for the grand champion ram and 130kg for the grand champion ewe.

"I'm a big believer in you only get paid for your weight," Mr Dalla said.

"When you sell wool, weight is king, so if you only have little sheep, you won't cut as much, and you won't make as much money."

While the stud had exhibits across the fine medium, medium and strong wool classes, the medium wool was their niche.

"That's where we aim to perform," Mr Dalla said.

"The medium section is the biggest section there is, and the medium wool polls is the biggest section of that again.

"That's right where we want to be, so we're very happy."

It was Orrie Cowrie's most successful year at the ASWS.

"This is one of our best teams we've put together in the 25 years we've been showing at Bendigo," Mr Dalla said.

Keeping it in the family, Mr Dalla's brother, Collinsville Merino stud manager Tim Dalla, Hallett, SA, won the grand champion March-shorn medium ewe ribbon.

The South Australian stud competed against itself for the grand champion title with their polled and horned ewes going head to head.

"We always knew she was a good ewe, but there was some stiff competition today," Tim said.

"There is always some rivalry there."

Judge Steven Bolt, Corrigin, WA, said the Collinsville ewe was outstanding, and made more impressive by her young age.

"She's everything you're looking for in a quality breeding ewe," Mr Bolt said.

"She's a big, upstanding ewe with a great length of body, and structurally she's really sound."

A March-shorn Orrie Cowrie ewe won reserve.

"It was very close but when it came down to it, the length of body on the younger ewe did it for me," Mr Bolt said.

"There might not even be a month or two in age between them at most."

The grand champion March-shorn medium wool ram was exhibited by another SA stud.

Collandra North Poll Merino stud, Tumby Bay, SA, took out the title with their ram, exhibit 460, named Grand Mirage.

Collandra stud principal Sydney Lawrie said the result was "fantastic".

"He's only 12 months old and he came up against a lot of older rams as well," he said.

"He's just so good in his bone and structure."

Mr Lawrie said the ram had a real wool-growing skin with great nourishment and thickness.

"He's one of the best rams on his feet in the shed," he said.

He said the ram stood out since he was a lamb.

Collandra North runs 1300 stud ewes and is working to breed easy-care sheep that still cut a lot of wool.