NEW Zealand stud Merino breeder Simon Paterson practises what he preaches.
When he meticulously searches for a well-structured animal, it’s because he knows the effort that has gone into breeding 8000 of them.
The Central Otago fine-wool breeder, and co-principal of Armidale Merino, Gimmerburn, is crossing the ditch to judge the fine to medium wool polled Merinos at this year’s Australian Sheep and Wool Show.
For Mr Paterson, the one underlying theme he judges his champions on is “freedom from faults”.
“Structural confirmation is first and foremost ,” he said.
“Coming from New Zealand, it is paramount sheep are able to move freely around the hills.
“Then it comes down to wool quality and quantity and size of the animal.”
While there are many things he admires about Merinos, pigmentation and bent feet and pastons are his pet hates.
“Showing is still very important of the maternal attributes of the Merino,” Mr Paterson said.
“Structural correctness and wool quality are things that can’t be performance measured – they need to be critiqued visually.”
This emphasis on performance and sound breeding is echoed in the Paterson family’s 2000 hectare mixed enterprise, which is managed by Mr Paterson’s and his parents Allan and Eris, and wife Sarah.
Their unwavering attitude towards this high performance animal is why their enterprise is ranked on of the best of the best 20 per cent Merino high-country farms.
Armidale’s economic farm surplus stock unit of $86 was $26 better than the top 20pc average.
The well-oiled machine that is Armidale has admirable lambing percentages with 6328 lambs weaned last year from 4900 ewes mated – attributed to a strict one chance joining program.
Their target is to push lambing in the Merino two-tooths beyond 100pc and in the mixed-age ewes to 130pc by 2020. Mr Paterson said they were on track to achieve this due to their zero tolerance for ewes that fail to wean a lamb.