THE White Suffolk breed was out in force for its 30th anniversary feature breed classes with the largest showing of the breed ever seen at Hamilton Sheepvention.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
In a highly professional judging display Andrew Michael, Leachim stud, Snowtown - one of the foundation breeders - assessed more than 250 entries from SA, Vic and NSW.
The grand champion ewe and supreme exhibit went to a ewe shown by Tim Jorgensen, Mertex stud, Antwerp, Vic which Mr Michael said he couldn't fault.
"She is something special with muscling almost like in the pig industry but she also has a beautiful balance of fat so you won't get any dryness in the mea," Mr Michael said.
"Everything about her with 10mm of fat and a 46mm eye muscle depth just ticks every box ... and she has spectacular make and shape."
The Mertex ewe went on to be supreme interbreed short wool champion ewe the following day.
Serviceton based Hayelle White Suffolk stud claimed the senior and grand champion ram with a ram praised by Mr Michael for its tremendous muscle pattern.
Mr Michael wrestled with his decision because the June 2014 drop ram did not have LAMBPLAN figures but backed his visual assessment.
"If TFI and Swift were here they would love 1000 lambs with the butt shape of his ram and the extended muscle down the leg for high carcase yield," he said.
"It is what we should all be striving for as terminal breeders."
The 122.5 kilogram ram was sired by Sunnybanks 32- a ram bought at the 2013 Bendigo White Suffolk sale. -
He was also the sire of three of the four rams in Hayelle's show team.
Breeders and exhibitors Hayden and Michelle Whittlesea were thrilled to win the June drop ram class from a field of 46 entries and go all the way.
"It is very hard to get a big muscled ram which is still good through the front and has good head extension for ease of lambing but he has it all," Mr Whittlesea said.
"We are paid per kilogram so we need to be breeding big sheep but also get the lambs on the ground."
Hayelle's success came exactly a decade since their last grand champion ram title at Sheepvention.
They will offer the ram-Hayelle 195- for sale in September at the Bendigo EliteWhite Suffolk Show & Sale.
Junior champion ram went to the Shillabeer family's Wingamin stud, Karoonda with a mid August 2014 drop weighing 114 kilograms with an eye muscle depth of 47mm and fat depth of 7.5mm.
"Both are beautiful skin rams and great types but for the length of carcase and more capacity for the expensive cuts (in the hindquarters)I've gone with the Wingamin ram but there is nothing in it," Mr Michael said.
Reserve junior champion ram was exhibited by Lachie and Kylie McCrae, Somerset stud, Hamilton, Vic.
