Tasmanian stud wins supreme interbreed title in Bendigo with White Suffolk ram

A White Suffolk ram went all the way to the top at the Elite Show & Sale in Bendigo on Saturday.

Exhibited by Sunnybanks White Suffolk stud, Penguin, Tas, the ram was sashed the best sheep in the shed, fending off competition from the Suffolk, Border Leicester and Southdown breeds.

The supreme interbreed winner, Sunnybanks 240243, took home the Peter Meecham Memorial Trophy.

The ram was first senior champion ram in the White Suffolk classes, then grand champion ram, before being sashed supreme White Suffolk.

Sunnybanks, which also breeds Poll Dorset sheep, had similar success at the Australasian Dorset Championships, held simultaneously to the Elite Show & Sale over the weekend.

Sunnybanks stud principal Paul Day said he was "stoked" to see his top White Suffolk ram sashed supreme interbreed.

Mr Day said the June 2024-drop ram had "great Suffolk type" and "overall correctness".

"That's what got him over the line," he said.

He said the stud ran approximately 100 White Suffolk ewes, and the supreme ram, which he took home to Tasmania, would be joined with the best of these in January.

The ram's first lambs will be on the ground in June 2026, and Mr Day also hoped to sell semen from the ram if there was interest.

He said he had taken his top White Suffolk and Poll Dorset rams across to the mainland so they could stand up against some of Australia's top lamb sires.

"That's why we come over, to see how we stand up against the mainland sheep," he said.

Judge Craig Mitchell, Gemini Prime Lamb Sires, Werneth, said the supreme champion was a smooth, very correct ram, with a good carcase and loin, and "plenty of sire power".

"He's just a really good animal," he said.

Mr Mitchell said the Sunnybanks ram had sire potential.

"He's a ram that would have an impact as a sire in any stud," he said.

He said he was impressed with the overall standard of the sheep at the Elite Show & Sale and congratulated all the exhibitors for presenting them so well.

He said the sheep had "good depth and carcase characteristics all the way through".

"It was a very good line-up of sheep," he said.

The grand champion ewe in the White Suffolk ring was Mertex 240785, exhibited by the Mertex White Suffolk stud, Antwerp.

The ewe was first senior champion ewe before becoming grand champion ewe of the breed.

Baringa Sheep Studs, Oberon, NSW, was the most successful White Suffolk exhibitor of the show.

The supreme sheep in the Suffolk ring was exhibited by the Allendale Suffolk stud, Bordertown, SA.

The ewe, Allendale 241513, fended off competition from the champion Suffolk ram, Sayla Park 240242, which was exhibited by Sayla Park Suffolk stud, Kilmore.

Allendale was the most successful Suffolk exhibitor at the show.

The supreme sheep in the Border Leicester ring was a ram bred and exhibited by the Glenlee Park Border Leicester stud, Gerang Gerung.

The stud also sold the top-priced Border Leicester ram at the sale on Sunday.

The supreme Border Leicester exhibit, Glenlee Park 75.24, won out against the champion ewe of the breed, Bauer 166.24.

The ewe was exhibited by Bauer Border Leicester stud, Ariah Park, NSW.

Glenlee Park was the most successful Border Leicester exhibitor at the show.

A ram bred by Lansdale Pure Southdowns, Bamganie, was the supreme Southdown exhibit.

The ram, Lansdale Pure 240200, won out against the champion Southdown ewe, also exhibited by the Bamganie stud, Lansdale Pure 240173.

Lansdale Pure Southdowns was the most successful exhibitor.