Australian White ram 'best lineup' judge has seen from Perth, Sydney, Adelaide
Judge Steve Pederick has cast his eye over Australian White lineups at the Perth and Sydney Royals this year, but he said Ardene's lineup at Adelaide was without a doubt the best he'd seen in any of the states.
It was high praise from the man from Sans-Souci Australian Whites, Molong, NSW, and a real validation of the Hodgson family's breeding program.
The family - Bruce, Jannie, Ali and Roy - exhibited the vast majority of the Australian Whites in the competition, taking home the champion and reserve champion ram, champion and reserve champion ewe, and most successful exhibitor titles.
It added to the reserve champion ram ribbon from the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, Vic, in July.
"That ram won his class here (in Adelaide), and the two rams that won champion and reserve champion we didn't actually take to Bendigo," Ardene principal Bruce Hodgson said.
"We're also really happy with how the ewes have come along.
"It was great to get that kind of feedback and it shows that what we've been doing for the last 13 years is paying off."
While a tough 18 months season wise had had an impact on client demand, due to reduced ewe numbers, the Hodgsons said their own program hadn't differed that much, crediting the resilience of the breed.
"The great benefits of the Australian Whites is that they don't need a lot to maintain their bodyweight and their condition," Bruce said.
"Our ewes, and the Australian White breed in general, is a very fertile breed. We AI'd 450 ewes in a program in December last year and they all stuck extremely well - a 92 per cent stick rate and we had 160pc lambs."
The champion ram decision came down to personal preference, with Mr Pederick not wanting to get hung up on colour of feet and colour of nose.
The winner was the May 2024-drop ram, tag 240091, which weighed in at 113.5 kilograms, with a fat scan of 9.5 millimetres and eye muscle depth of 37mm.
"The champion ram is an absolute screamer when it comes to length and softness," Mr Pederick said.
"He's got great depth and is very similar to the reserve. Even the two rams that sit behind the reserve are very powerful in their own right, but I'm just chasing that softness.
"I've had the pleasure this year of judging at the Perth Royal, the Sydney Royal and here.
"Without a doubt, this is the best lineup of rams that I've seen in any of the states."
It was another tough decision making a call between two Ardene ewes for champion, with the top two actually exhibited as a pair in the classes.
An April 2024-drop ewe, tag 240015, came out on top. It weighed 75.5kg, with 7.5mm fat and 36.5mm EMD.
"It's a pretty unusual situation here that you'd get a pair that are champion and reserve," Mr Pederick said.
"They just make a great pair of ewes and their depth is really good."
The competition consisted of a healthy contingent of Ardene sheep, and also featured Mallou Australian Whites, Bangham.
Ardene is now turning its attention to its annual on-property stud and flock ram sale on September 18, where the champion and reserve champion will be on offer.
