NSW studs dominate interbreed, with southern studs picking up heritage ribbons
NSW sheep studs have dominated in the prestigious interbreed competition at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.
Nundoone Border Leicester stud, Merrygoen, NSW, was named winner of the longwool judging, while Tattykeel Australian White stud, Black Springs, NSW, claimed both the shortwool and cleanskin titles.
Judge Ben Campbell, Gulgong, NSW, said Nundoone's ewe was a standout winner from the start.
"She has a perfect balance for a sheep," Mr Campbell said.
"She's got every characteristic we're looking for in a modern Border Leicester - carcase, wool and structure are all true to type, and she has a beautiful femininity.
"I was ecstatic she got through today."
Nundoone stud principal Rowena Munro said she wasn't expecting to win.
The exhibit, Nundoone 240059, was sired by Bindaree 220197 and out of Nundoone 229129.
"We're pretty happy and it was pretty unexpected," Ms Munro said.
She said she believed the ewe's correctness and carcase had helped get her over the line.
"She's got the right balance," she said.
Ms Munro said it was the first time the 11-month-old ewe had competed in Bendigo.
Her parents had previously taken out the supreme title with their stud Bindaree.
Ms Munro said she enjoyed working with the breed.
"It's a meat sheep that's worth shearing," she said.
The reserve longwool exhibit was awarded the Bauer and Retallack Border Leicester studs, Ariah Park, NSW, for their ram Bauer 261.
Bauer and Retallack was also awarded the supreme longwool group.
Reserve longwool group went to the English Leicesters exhibited by Melton Park, Whitemore, Tasmania.
It was Tattykeel's ram, Tattykeel 240067, that won the cleanskin title.
The embryo transfer-bred ram was sired by Tattykeel 220018 and out of Tattykeel 210540, and had been awarded grand champion in the Australian White breed judging on Friday.
Tattykeel stud co-principal James Gilmore said the carcase was the ram's most outstanding trait.
Coming up against the other shedding breeds in the supreme ring Mr Gilmore said the Australian Whites stood out.
"For us in the shedding sheep, [Australian Whites] fully shed and clean their hair and that's what stands out for me," he said.
"That and their growth for age."
Judge Deva Weitman, Romsey, said the ram was a well-muscled, big-barrelled ram.
Tattykeel also claimed supreme in the cleanskin group class.
The reserve cleanskin was awarded to the UltraWhite ram exhibited by Hillcroft Farms, Popanyinning, WA, while reserve group went to the White Dorpers, exhibited by Tullinga Dorpers, Condobolin, NSW.
Tattykeel continued their winning streak claiming the supreme shortwool exhibit with their ram, Tattykeel 240088.
The ET-bred ram, sired by Tattykeel 220308 and out of Tattykeel 210046, was awarded senior and grand champion ram in the Poll Dorset judging on Saturday.
Judge Graham Sidey, New Zealand, said the ram had a "tremendous line".
"I've also worked for a meat company and he's tremendous over the loin and that's where your valuable meat cuts are," he said.
Mr Gilmore said it had been an "incredible" show.
The stud also claimed the interbreed group title in the shortwool judging.
"There's nothing more that you can ask for than that," Mr Gilmore said.
"The bigger the show, the more people, the higher quality of stock will be there.
"There's plenty of terrific stock in a lot of different breeds down here so to be able to still do it up against a lot of them is great.
"We're not necessarily coming down to a show to chase accolades - we're coming here to promote our program and livestock to the people but we're stoked."
The reserve shortwool was awarded to the White Suffolk ram exhibited by Baringa White Suffolk stud, Oberon, NSW, while the reserve group was awarded to Rene stud, Culcairn, NSW, for their Charollais.
In the heritage classes, Mr Campbell said the Melton Park English Leicester stud's ewe was a very worthy winner of the longwool class.
"The English Leicester representation was fantastic," he said.
"The winner, she was outstanding for such a small gene pool."
Mr Campbell said Melton Park stud principal Brenton Heazlewood, Whitemore, Tas, was a great ambassador for the breed.
"Brenton is very dedicated to the breed and to see him rewarded from what he has put into the breed is great to see," he said.
Mr Heazlewood said was thrilled the ewe, which was by Hurricane, took out the win.
"She's just a well-balanced ewe," he said.
"She's got beautiful English Leicester wool on her, she's a feminine ewe and she's got a lovely broad back, which is what we want on English Leicesters, and good wool."
Mr Heazlewood said the breed also had a great temperament.
"They're basically a docile, placid breed," he said.
Boonong Park Hampshire Down stud, Mortlake, took out the heritage title in the shortwool class.
Mr Sidey said there were four sheep which could have won the title.
"My top four - in no particular order - were the Southdown, the Hampshire Down, the Dorset Down and the Ryeland," he said.
"I was quite happy to see the top one come out of those four."
Boonong Park stud principal Bridge Leahy, who runs the stud with her partner Kane Hildred, was thrilled with the win.
"It's great - it's not one of the ones we've won before so that makes it even better," Ms Leahy said.
The August 2024-drop ewe, sired by Boonong Park 2303 and out of Ramsay Park 100-22, is one of about 25 the couple has on their property.
"We first started this breed at high school - at Elizabeth Murdoch College - and we fell in love with them," she said.
"They are beautiful to look at, they have a great temperament and we really like their carcase attributes."
Ms Leahy said it was extremely important for heritage breeds to continue in Australia.
"They've paved the way for so many of the breeds we see today," she said.
Pictures by Alexandra Bernard
In the ASSBA centenary interbeed judging, the supreme exhibit was awarded to Nundoone for their ewe.
The grand champion ram was awarded to the Charollais ram Rene 180, exhibited by Rene.
The supreme group was awarded to the Charollais, also exhibited by Rene.
