Royal Adelaide Show 2017: Suffolk supreme from Allendale stud

The twin ram, from Noble Lee stud, Campania, Tas, impressed judge Ian Gilmore, Oberon, NSW, while in the pair class.

“The ram I found for my champion ram was paired with a ram that I was not prepared to give a first place to,” he said.

“I asked the committee and I was allowed to bring the ram I wanted out of the pair to compete in the championship line up.

“At that stage I wasn’t sure he would win but when I brought him out, I decided he was the ram I wanted to win.”

The July-born ram weighed 127.5 kilograms, with 9 millimetre fat depth, and a 48mm eye muscle depth.

Breeder Brett Stokes said the ram had made it to the winners ring “the hard way”.

During his preparation, he had needed to replace three rams, leading to the situation with an uneven pairing.

“I’m absolutely stoked,” he said.

“We’re here competing against good sheep and breeders – just to win a few ribbons is always good.

“At a feature show of this significance, to get champion ram is what we all strive for.”

The ram was then sold for an Australian breed record price at the Elite Stud Sheep Sale of $16,000.

Mr Gilmore said the decision between champion and reserve was a close thing, with the July-drop ram from Allendale stud, Bordertown, in second place.

The reserve champion ram, which also was part of the stud’s winning breeders group, ram and ewe pair and Lambplan – trade pair, weighed 123.5kg, 46EMD, 12.9 post weaning weight , -0.8 post weaning fat and 0.5 postweaning EMD.

The ram will be offered in the Allendale annual on-property sale.

“It’s a thrill to put broadribbons on sheep as good as these are,” Mr Gilmore said.

The Allendale stud then won the champion ewe with their “superbly muscled ewe pipping a superbly muscled ewe” in a tight contest.

Allendale’s Alastair Day said their June-drop 96kg, 8fat, 42EMD ewe was by Allendale Lucky Edition – a ram that has good figures for intravenous fat and sheer force.

“It’s a really good-looking ewe,” he said.

The ewe will compete at Melbourne Show before being mated in January.

The reserve champion ram, from Helen Schultz, Pine Ridge, Strathalbyn, was by a ram from New Zealand stud Goldstream.

It weighed 102kg, 12fat and 42EMD.

Ms Schultz said it was a late decision to include the ewe in the showteam after a series of major health scares.

“It’s always been a standout young ewe, mainly for carcase attributes,” she said.

The champion ewe from Allendale was then declared the supreme Suffolk exhibit of the show.

Judge Ian Gilmore also commended the showing of the Suffolk breed.

“The depth of quality in each class has been amazing,” he said.

“The structural soundness, the breed type, the yielding ability of the sheep – the Suffolk breeders can be very proud.

“I’ve judged feature breeds in most meat and maternal breeds at royal shows and major shows and this is the best lineup from top to bottom of any breed I’ve ever judged.”