A magnificent woolled ram from East Bungaree stud, Hallett, with tremendous presence rose to the top in judging for Elders’ Ram of the Year at Burra this week.
Judge Kevin Crook, Tamaleuca stud, Ouyen, Vic, said East Bungaree 83 was “hard to go past” in the field of 14 entries from studs across the state.
“Structurally, it is magnificent, with a really long body and great neck extension, great crimp definition and the muzzle is so pure, white and long,” he said.
East Bungaree’s Tony and Mark Brooks and their families, which last won the title in 2012, received a saliva lick feeder from Universal Feeders and Elders.
Stud co-principal Tony Brooks said the June 2014-drop had always been a “stand out” sheep for its good structure, staple length and carcase.
“It has great width behind and a great skin,” he said.
The winner was a son of Collinsville Regal 271, which East Bungaree bought at the 2014 Australian Sheep & Wool Show for $20,000.
The first drop of Regal 271’s progeny impressed in East Bungaree’s 2016 on-property sale, with EB 83 one of three rams retained within the stud.
The Meyer family’s Mulloorie stud, Brinkworth, was runner-up, with a 20.1-micron poll ram with a standard deviation of 3.3, coefficient of variation of 14.4 and comfort factor of 99.8 per cent.
The ram, which was raised as a triplet, was sired by Mulloorie 50.
A horned ram from the Dalla family’s Orrie Cowie stud, Warooka, was third in the Ram of the Year class.
“The structure of the SA sheep is very good and they are big sheep carrying very good quality wool,” Mr Crook said.
The judging was the pinnacle of the second day of the Elders SA Stud Merino Expo.
Twenty five studs displayed their sheep at the Burra Oval on Tuesday, with 12 studs opening their gates the previous day across the Mid North.
Greenfields stud, Hallett, sold the $12,900 top price ram in Elders’ online auction, which ran across the two days.