A pair of Allendale Poll Dorset rams have taken home the champion sash in the Interbreed Lamb Production Export class, with a score more than 10 points ahead of its nearest competitor.
The pair scored 108.34 out of 120 for objective points, 38.5/50 for structural assessment, 27/30 for market suitability, 26/30 for skin and wool and 19/20 for breed type for an overall score of 218.84.
Two White Suffolk rams from RV Piggott and Sons, Moorlands, achieved a score of 207.22 to take the second place sash while Zacman Poll Dorsets, Binnum, was closely behind on 207.05.
Allendale stud principal Alastair Day said the stud had also won the class in 2022.
"It's great to go back-to-back, but it's also great to have top assessors in their fields giving you feedback," he said.
"When we picked the pair, we made sure they had quite a lot of length, as well as good carcase, and were really relevant to the trade class, which the results shows they were."
The pair will be sold in the stud's annual auction.
In the trade class, a pair of Poll Dorset rams from Ivadene, Hexham, Vic, were sashed champions, with scores of 113.39 for objective points, 40.5 for structural assessment, 28 for market suitability, 26 for skin and wool and 17 for breed type for a total of 224.89.
Mullinger Park, Kybybolite, finished second with their White Suffolks on 220.78, with Omad White Suffolks, Serviceton, Vic, rounding out the top three on 219.24 points.
Ivadene stud principal Lachie Kelly said the pair had previously won the same class at Hamilton Sheepvention.
"I was tempted to split them up and pair them differently here, but I'm glad I didn't," he said. "These classes represent the peak of commercial relevance to us so we really value them and certainly focus on them."
Mr Kelly said the basis of the class aligned with the stud's goals of combining performance with structural correctness, breed type and market suitability.
One of the two rams has been used in the stud as a ram lamb, with the pair to be sold at the stud's ram sale.
Katie Jackson
Journalist at Stock Journal. Born into a journo family in the state's South East, Katie made the move to the big smoke to join the team in early 2022 after seven years spent at various mastheads in the regions.
Journalist at Stock Journal. Born into a journo family in the state's South East, Katie made the move to the big smoke to join the team in early 2022 after seven years spent at various mastheads in the regions.
