POLL Dorset breeders dominated the hotly contested interbreed terminal lamb production competition, claiming all three ribbons.
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The initial field of 30 entries of ram pairs was whittled down to nine - three Poll Dorsets, three White Suffolks and three Suffolks - for the final presentations, with Alan and Lyn Schinckel, Leenara Poll Dorset Stud, Naracoorte, finishing on top.
Their entry - two May-drops - scored 225.03 points to edge out Ulandi Park Poll Dorset Stud, Marrabel, on 219.5 points and AE Day & Sons, Allendale Poll Dorset Group, Bordertown, on 216.98 points.
Mr Schinckel said he was thrilled to win a class that was so commercially focused.
"If I had my choice and I could only win one class at the show, this would be it," he said. "It's so commercially focused, and that's what it's all about as a stud. You want to be producing rams that are ideally suited to what your clients want them for."
He said the winning rams were well-grown with correct bodies, and came from similar bloodlines.
"They've all been objectively measured and obviously they've come out of that pretty well," he said. "They've got plenty of growth, and their fat is exactly suitable for the export market, and they've got reasonable muscle. It'd be nice if they had a bit more muscle, but they've still got reasonable figures.
"The sire of one of these rams is the grand sire of the other."
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 12 issue, 2013.
