AN interstate raid in the Royal Adelaide Show March-shorn Merinos led to the bulk of ribbons going to NSW exhibitors.
For One Oak stud, Jerilderie, NSW, it was a fitting finale to its almost 60 years of showing.
One Oak claimed the grand champion March-shorn Merino ewe ribbon with their champion fine wool ewe.
The two-teeth ewe measured 16.5 microns with a standard deviation of 3.2, coefficient of variation of 19.4 and a comfort factor of 99.6 per cent.
The ewe's sire was BL104, a ram sold at the One Oak on-property sale last year for $26,000 to a syndicate.
One Oak principal Graham Wells said he had been showing in Adelaide for the past three years, and it would be their final show before their on-property dispersal sale on October 15.
"We've had a great run in the past four or five years and we've had a good run this year," Mr Wells said.
"If you're knocking at the door and up the top consistently, it's a good thing."
Being part of the showing community had many advantages.
"It's a chance to learn, to commune with colleagues at the show," he said. "It's a great learning process."
One Oak also claimed champion strong wool ewe, reserve champion strong wool ewe, and champion fine wool ram ribbons.
The fine wool champion also went on to become reserve grand champion ram.
The ram was awarded champion March shorn ram at the Dubbo National Merino Sheep Show in NSW last month.
It was sired by BL76, in turn sired by White River Kaldoona, which sold at the Adelaide ram sale for $12,000.
The reserve champion ram sold at the Adelaide Ram Sale last week for $7000 to Eilan Donan, Elphinstone, Vic.
The champion ewes will be available to buy at the stud's dispersal.
The grand champion ram was also from a NSW stud, Boonoke at Deniliquin.
The medium wool champion ram, which weighed in at 125 kilograms with 41 millimetres eye muscle depth and fat depth of 8mm, had some form going into the show after becoming grand champion at Bendigo, Vic.
The ram's sire was East Mundulla Jonty, also the sire of the champion strong wool ram and reserve champion medium wool ram, also from Boonoke.
"He's just clicked in our stud," manager Angus Munro said.
Mr Munro said their grand champion ram had a lot of purity with a good horn set, conformation and beautiful white crimpy wool.
He had a 19.3M fleece with standard deviation of 2.8, coefficient of variation of 14.5 and comfort factor 99.9pc.
Judge Kevin Crook, Ouyen, Vic, said the grand champion ram was the "complete package."
"He stands very well with lustrous wool," he said.
Mr Munro said Adelaide was the last show of their season, and a nice way to finish the year.
The stud had been making the trek to Adelaide for the past four or five years.
"We like coming over here to compare our sheep and support the show," Mr Munro said.
"It is a very strong sheep show so we can compare against the industry best."
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 18, 2014 issue.
