Millicent breeders commit to keeping Ryeland genetics alive for future
Milicent Ryeland breeders Michael and Julie Osborne take their responsibility seriously to continue the rare breed and put it in front of the public.
Since they started showing at the Royal Adelaide Show in 1980, the state's only Ryeland breeders have only missed exhibiting a few times.
This includes last year when they were at the World Charolais Congress in Canada, but this year they were back with two rams and two ewes.
"We really enjoy catching up with people we might only see once a year and just being part of it," Mr Osborne said.
The Osbornes, who run about 40 ewes in their Ryeview stud, acknowledge it has become a "bit of a hobby", although they still get "an order here and there" and have previously sent Ryelands to the United Arab Emirates.
"In the chook industry, they went back to see how they bred a crossbred and couldn't find the parent breeds alive - we may need the Ryelands again when the markets change," Mr Osborne said.
He said they were fortunate to be able to buy a few rams and ewes from the Halyluya dispersal at Heywood, Vic, about six years ago to add to their genetics.
Judge Ian Turner, Mount Barker, was impressed by the red meat content on Ryeview's older ram, selecting him for champion ahead of another younger ram which was his son.
"He has plenty of meat where it matters in hindquarters and loin and length where it matters," he said.
"One of the things we can find happens in smaller gene poll breeds is we lose size, which then affects the commercial suitability into the prime lamb market, but we haven't got that situation here."
The Osbornes' two ewes were both October 2024-drops.
Mr Turner said they were both "structurally good" but he went for the one which weighed 39 kilograms and had a 38 millimetre eye muscle depth for his champion.
He said she was the most "commercially relevant" for her extra body length and black feet, which would hold up better to footrot in high rainfall areas.
