GENETICS from Greenfields Hussey dominated the August-shorn section of the Merino judging on Thursday for the Sullivan family, Hallett.
The Greenfields stud took out both grand champion ewe and grand champion ram with 28-month-olds by the popular sire, which stud principal Robert Sullivan said was the “best headed ram he had ever bred”.
The ewe was the medium wool champion measuring 20 micron with 3.6 standard deviation, 18 per cent coefficient of variation and 99.7pc comfort factor.
Judge Richard Chalker, Lach River Merino stud, Cowra, NSW, agreed the ewe had a beautiful head and looked “so productive”.
It was recently awarded grand champion ewe at the Crystal Brook Show.
Mr Sullivan said it was a “tall, long, well-balanced ewe with good structure”, which he would keep, mating back to home-bred sire Rex.
Reserve grand champion ewe went to a class competitor from the Dalla family’s Orrie Cowie stud at Warooka.
The spring-drop ewe, sired by OC Trojan, measured 19.5M, 3.2SD, 16.4CV and 99.5CF.
The Greenfields grand champion August-shorn ram was the strong wool section winner at 23.2M with 3.9SD, 16.8CV and 97.1CF.
Judge Richard House, Barloo, Gnowangerup, WA, said the competition was very tight between it and the medium wool ram from the Meyer family’s Mulloorie stud, Brinkworth, in reserve.
“What got the champion over the line was its wool underneath and down its flank, it’s a very long animal, which is excellent, with a beautiful make and shape, and its presence as a sire,” he said.
“It’s just a very well proportioned animal with a good fleece down low and it will cut very well.
“The ram in reserve (an East Bungaree Buddy son, also weighing about 154kg, with a 20.5M fleece measuring 2.9SD, 14.1CV and 99.7CF) has an exceptional fleece on a big barrel, but didn’t quite have the stretch and the set-up of the champion.”
Mr Sullivan said the 154-kilogram champion ram was also a keeper and would be single mated to about 90-100 special stud ewes.
Greenfields also won the champion strong wool ewe section with a 20.7M Hussey daughter, measuring 3.4SD, 16.4CV and 99.4CF.
“Similar to the medium wool champion, it will be kept and mated to Rex,” Mr Sullivan said.
Radnor stud, Langhorne Creek, took out the fine wool ewe section with a 18.7M from the over 2.5 years class, with fleece measurements of 2.8SD, 15CV and 99.7CF.
Alisha Fogden
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
