'World's cutest sheep breed' to debut at 2025 Royal Adelaide Show

Adelaide Hills Valais Blacknose breeders will be vying for the broad ribbons in the debut showing at the Royal Adelaide Show, but even more important for these two studs is putting the rare breed in front of the public.

Originating in the Swiss Alps, the breed is often referred to as the 'world's cutest sheep breed'.

The first Valais Blacknose genetics were imported into Australia in 2020 and the breed has already grown to about 50 studs across Australia.

The breed has already turned heads at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Hamilton Sheepvention and other shows across Vic.

One Tree Hill breeder Candice Thompson is excited to show off two ewes and a ram from her Wynnlake stud at the upcoming Royal Adelaide Show - along with fellow exhibitor No Eye Deer Farm, Kersbrook.

She says the breed, with their striking black faces, legs and ears, spiral horns and long curly fleeces used in carpets and felting, are a "crowd pleaser" wherever they go.

"They are a unique breed, it will be the first time a lot of people will have seen them in public," she said.

When researching sheep breeds, Ms Thompson fell in love with the Valais Blacknose and has invested heavily in a diverse range of genetics from Australia and overseas. She now has nine purebreds.

"Being a Border Collie breeder, I wanted some sheep they could work on," she said.

"I found a Vic stud and started a breed up program which takes five generations to get to purebred status, but I got impatient, so I began buying in embryos - we have done a couple of embryo programs."

Ms Thompson says Valais Blacknoses are an ideal choice for families on small acreages with their cuteness factor and quiet temperament.

"They are docile and playful, more like dogs than sheep and they are curious so you don't need to bottle raise them for them to come up to you," she said.

Ms Thompson acknowledges it may be difficult for the breed to move into the commercial lamb production area because they are slow growing and take 2.5 years or more to reach maturity, but she believes they could produce a good carcase if crossed with other commercial sheep breeds.

"The Swiss have said it is particularly nice tasting meat eaten at the hogget stage," she said.

Ms Thompson - who is the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society of Australia secretary - also acknowledges the price tag may be out of many budgets, with purebred ewes fetching $25,000 or more and even wethers making $3000-$5000.

But she says as numbers in the breed grow, these prices are likely to drop.

When shown for the first time in SA at the Copper Coast Show at Kadina a couple of weeks ago, Ms Thompson was pleasantly surprised with the interest.

"Some farmers may think of them as a bit of a joke, so it was great to have some great conversations about what we are looking for and breeding for," she said.

"We have six or seven importers who are doing a good job bringing in the best sheep possible and now we have some animals in Australia, which are equal in quality to the best in the UK and Europe."

The Valais Blacknose breed will be judged at 2pm on Sunday, August 31, at the Royal Adelaide Show.