Countless hours of hard work pays off for elated Ballarat Grammar students

The elation on the faces of Ballarat Grammar students was evident when they were named winner of the supreme Corriedale title.

Their over 1.5-year-old March-shorn ewe took out the crown at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo.

Ballarat Grammar director of agriculture Emily Cook said the supreme title was a first for the school.

"It's incredible," Ms Cook said.

"What makes it really special is these kids just put so much effort into it.

"They spend so much time loving and caring for the sheep."

She said the win was a huge honour for the school.

"It's a credit to the students and also, for a school to win the top prize, when we know there are four schools competing here with fantastic animals as well as these professional studs with beautifully presented sheep," she said.

Ms Cook said the quality of the Corriedales was exceptional.

"We're thrilled, and to win against such fantastic sheep is extra special," she said.

"To win against some of the best sheep I've seen is great."

Judge Richard Halliday, Bordertown, SA, said the quality overall in the Corriedale competition was high.

"The breeders have done a great job," Mr Halliday said.

"There was depth in every class.

"There were some that just didn't have the preparation, but at the top of every class there were four, five or six sheep that stood out."

Mr Halliday said as the day went on, this made his job harder and harder.

He had high praise for the winning ewe.

He joked she could be nicknamed Beyonce for her width.

"There's so much to like about her," he said.

"She's really deep through her back end - or udder - and had two cracking lambs on her.

"There's an old saying that you can crawl between their front legs, and she had that width.

"She's a pretty complete ewe, and to have the twin lambs - that was a bonus."

Sweetfield Corriedale stud, Mount Moriac, took out the champion ram title.

Sweetfield stud principal Bron Ellis said she was thrilled.

"I'm just overwhelmed, I never thought he would get this," Ms Ellis said.

She said she had been nervous throughout the judging.

"Every year it's exciting, it's nerve-wracking," she said.

"I feel pretty humble about the win."

Ms Ellis said she had faith in the ram from an early age.

"I've watched him grow from a lamb, and you can usually pick how they will be from an early age," she said.

"He's always been my choice, so we've named him Leonardo."

Ms Ellis said she believed the ram had the traits Corriedales needed to be at the top of the class.

"To me, a Corriedale nowadays has to have a good carcase to compete with the other breeds," she said.

"It's the wool and the carcase, but as the judge said here today, it's 60 per cent carcase and 40 per cent wool.

"He's got a massive frame, a massive carcase, good hindquarter and he's got a lovely soft look.

"He's got good depth."

There were three generations of the Ellis family at the show.

"I'm very fortunate my son and his partner help me, and now little Gemma is getting involved," Ms Ellis said.