The full rundown of SA success at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show
It was a big weekend for South Australian sheep studs in Bendigo, Vic, claiming numerous titles at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show.
An enormous South Australian strong wool ram claimed the ultimate ribbon at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, taking out the supreme Merino title.
The 170-kilogram ram was exhibited by the well-known Collinsville Merino stud, Hallett, SA.
The ram was a show stopper on the floor and was praised for his heavy-cutting fleece with coverage from tip to tail.
Collinsville stud manager Tim Dalla said the ram was the best he had ever bred.
"From a breeding perspective, he's exactly what we look for," Mr Dalla said.
"He's definitely in the top three rams we've bred, but for me, he's probably the best."
The ram was sired by Collinsville Lustre 33, who holds the second top-priced record for Collinsville and was sold for $88,000 to Lach River Merino stud, Darbys Falls, NSW, and Westray Merino stud, Peak Hill, NSW, in 2021.
The ram progressed from grand champion August-shorn strong wool ram to claim the supreme Merino exhibit.
- Petra Oates & Barry Murphy
Prestigious win for all-rounder
A South Australian stud bagged top honours for its all-purpose Merino ram.
Greenfields Merino and Poll Merino stud, Hallett, SA, secured the grand champion all-purpose Merino ram sash with its April 2024-drop ram.
The March-shorn ram, exhibit 619, had medium wool.
Greenfields stud principal Robert Sullivan said he was "very excited" to get the win.
"It's a very prestigious class to win," he said.
"You've got to have a ram with good testing wool and you've got to have a very meaty carcase."
Mr Sullivan said this was exactly the type of sheep Greenfields was working to breed, a dual-purpose Merino.
He said the grand champion ram stood out from an early age with its "structure and carcase".
"He's a great all-round, dual-purpose sheep," he said.
The ram had an 18.2-micron fleece, with a standard deviation (SD) of 2.6, coefficient variation (CV) of 14.5 and comfort factor (CF) of 99.8 per cent.
- Barry Murphy
Manoora breeder earns Texel sash
The champion ram in the Texel ring was bred by Dlorrah Park Texel stud principal Troy Julyan, Manoora, SA, who said it was his stud's biggest ever win.
"I've been coming here since about 2018 when I started the stud but I've never won a champion here," he said.
"I won a reserve champion ribbon at Adelaide in 2023 and then have had success at local shows like Mount Barker, SA, and Mount Pleasant, SA, but never at a major show like this."
To make the victory sweeter, Dlorrah Park also won reserve champion Texel ram.
"It's been tough and it's still dry, there's not much green feed," he said.
"Getting any show sheep up to scratch anywhere in SA is hard but we managed to get a small team of five up and going."
Mr Julyan said he was confident the ram would do well but it always "depends on the judge".
"He has an exceptional eye muscle area of 55 [square centimetres] and versus the weight on him (90 kilograms), he's done really well," he said.
He said the stud was a tribute to his grandfather.
"The name Dlorrah is Harrold backwards which was his last name, so it's in honour of him," he said.
- Joely Mitchell
Pairs success
A South Australian stud took out the March-shorn portion of the national pairs competition.
Collinsville Merino stud, Hallett, SA, who won the August-shorn competition last year, decided to mix it up and attempt a win with March-shorn sheep.
"It was very thrilling," Collinsville stud manager Tim Dalla said.
"It's the first time we've been in it, so to do that is outstanding."
Mr Dalla said the pair were two home-bred Poll Merinos who were 13-months-old with lambs teeth.
"They're typical of what we're trying to breed, which is sheep with terrific structure, great constitution and early growth," he said.
"And then to cut plenty of good-quality, medium wool."
He said the ewe would enter an embryo program, and the ram would be used as a stud reserve.
- Joely Mitchell
Former SA stud, and current SA studs, dominate medium wool competition
Former SA stud, Orrie Cowie Merino and Poll Merino stud, Nhill, Vic, delivered in the August-shorn medium wool classes, 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.
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."
Keeping it in the family, Mr Dalla's brother, Collinsville Merino stud manager Tim Dalla, Hallett, won the grand champion March-shorn medium ewe ribbon.
The 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.
The grand champion March-shorn medium wool ram was exhibited by another SA stud.
Collandra North Poll Merino stud, Tumby Bay, 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.
- Barry Murphy & Petra Oates
Mount Torrens breeders feature in Australian White ribbons
In an Australian White competition headlined by NSW stud Tattykeel, Ardene Australian Whites, Mt Torrens, claimed reserve champion ram with Ardene 240351.
Ardene stud co-principal Bruce Hodgson said the ram was balanced and had a huge amount of meat.
Mr Hodgson said his sire, Ardene 230025, was the champion at Bendigo last year.
The ram had not been shown before, but was now bound for Adelaide later in the year.
