Sheepvention numbers increase thanks to new breed as event works to rebuild

Sheepvention welcomed the UltraWhite breed for the first time at the Hamilton event over the weekend.

The addition of the new breed comes amid a conscious rebuild effort by the Hamilton Agricultural and Pastoral Society after exhibitor numbers declined after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exhibitor numbers grew again this year in the interbreed sheep shed, thanks to both the addition of the UltraWhites and the popularity of this year's feature breed.

Sheepvention president Darren Schurmann said the society was extremely pleased with the turnout this year.

"It's been a tough 18 months for producers, but we've had a fantastic Sheepvention and we're really happy," Mr Schurmann said.

"The weather has been fantastic and the crowds have been huge."

Mr Schurmann said the popularity of the White Suffolk as the feature breed saw a noticeable increase in sheep numbers.

"They are a very big breed, so that really bolstered the sheep numbers this year," he said.

The two UltraWhite exhibitors in the showring were Anden, Willangie, and Induro, Wakool, NSW.

The grand champion UltraWhite ram was won by Anden, while the grand champion UltraWhite ewe was taken out by Induro.

Judge Will Milroy, Rangeview stud, Pipers River, Tas, praised both grand champions on being excellent, true-to-type examples of the breed.

Anden stud principal and Ultra White Sheep Breeders Association of Australia president Joel Donnan said the weekend was a huge success for the breed.

"We've been asked several years in a row to come display and show some sheep here at Hamilton," Mr Donnan said.

"We've been going to Bendigo for the past couple of years with pretty good success as a breed."

Last year at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, the UltraWhites won the interbreed ram champion, and this year they snagged the reserve for the interbreed ram.

Mr Donnan said the breed's success at Bendigo had encouraged them to expand their show circuit.

"We're now trying to branch out and go to a few other shows," he said.

The UltraWhites are a relatively new breed, developed by Western Australian stud Hillcroft Farms in the early 2000s by crossing Poll Dorset ewes with White Dorper rams.

The breed association was only set up four years ago in 2021.

Mr Donnan said showing at Sheepvention was a great opportunity to display the breed.

"We've built a few numbers as an association and a breeders group, and now we're trying to advertise a bit more and get the breed out there," he said.

He said the UltraWhites were a breed suited to producers "trying to be as efficient as possible".

"We feel like we've got an article that's very relevant to the industry," he said.

"They're very easy care and it allows you to run sheep with a lot less management problems like lice and flies, and shearing and crunching."