Supreme win gives Suffolk stud principal a reason to smile after horror year

Winning the supreme Suffolk title at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show felt like a turning point for Hopea stud principal Ellie McDonald.

Ms McDonald has had a challenging 12 months on her Dadswells Bridge property.

"I'm over the moon, I'm on a bit of a high at the moment," she said.

"I've been showing here since 2014 and in that time I've never won a broad ribbon.

"I've been close, I've won a couple of classes over the years."

Ms McDonald said the drought meant she had experienced a tough season last year and again this year.

On top of that, a bushfire tore through their property and burnt out their house block.

"The house survived, but then we had no feed at all," she said.

"Dad was feeding from April to August.

"We're usually a wet area, but we just didn't get the rain."

In summer, the Grampians bushfires threatened their property.

It didn't reach their property, but they spent a lot of time on strike teams helping their neighbours out through the fires.

Ms McDonald said the conditions remained tough despite recent rain.

"We've been feeding again this year - a lot of people are in the same boat," she said.

Ms McDonald took out the champion ram title and the champion ewe title before the ewe was named supreme winner.

She runs about 120 mature Suffolk ewes and 150 white Suffolks on her 320-hectare property.

Ms McDonald said there was a lot to like about the Suffolk breed.

"The Suffolks are one of the most popular breeds around the world and for good reason," she said.

"They're smart sheep, they've got the meat on them.

"The Suffolk lambs seem to be heavier, they grow out better, you can have them on feed for longer, and they don't go to fat as quickly as some other breeds."

Ms McDonald said the popularity of the breed was increasing.

"They're starting to gain a lot of momentum," she said.

Judge Tim Jorgensen, Antwerp, praised the ewe in naming it the supreme winner.

"They're two great Suffolks, I just thought the ewe was that little bit fuller in the hindquarter and just a bit straighter in the topline," Mr Jorgensen said.

"They're two very good sheep, so congratulations to the exhibitors."

When naming Ms McKenzie's ram the winner of its class, he said what set it apart from the others was that it was "a bit smoother through the front shoulder".

He said the winning ewe was "very well muscled".

He said it was also "very correct".