A MASSIVE, strong wool, horned ram with great presence from Greenfields stud, Hallett, overshadowed the competition during the pinnacle of Merino judging.
Russell Jones, Darriwell stud, Trundle, NSW, who commented on behalf of the five judges, said the 21.6 micron ram, Greenfields 6.1, was a worthy supreme exhibit.
“He speaks for himself,” he said.
“He is deep, he is long and has got a topline for a ram that long that is very straight, and to get that quality wool on such a big sheep is a credit to the breeders.”
The 170 kilogram ram, aptly named Lofty by his owners the Sullivan family, was AI-bred from Hinesville Pharoah- the NSW Ram of the Year in 2015.
Lofty was given the nod ahead of seven other ram and ewe champions on the mat, giving the Sullivan family their second supreme win in Adelaide in four years.
Last week Lofty came close to winning the Australian Ram of the Year title at the Rabobank Merino Sheep Show and Sale in Dubbo, NSW after a 2200-kilometre round trip.
He earned the right to represent SA after taking out grand champion ram at the Crystal Brook show last month.
Stud co-principal Robert Sullivan said the upstanding sire was the biggest the stud had ever bred but also one of the best.
“For a ram that size he has a great topline, really straight back and nice sirey head and muzzle, very correct on his feet and for a ram that size he has a really good rich, nourished, stylish wool on him,” he said.
His wool also tested well with a standard deviation of 3.3, coefficient of variation of 15.3 per cent and 99.4pc comfort factor.
Mr Sullivan said Lofty was being retained in the stud.
“He is a ram that can have a big impact on our stud just because of his sheer make up and scale and that wool he has got on him,” he said.
His first lambs born in May-June were showing promise and he will be put with selected top ewes in November.
“We will take him home and shear him and collect a little bit of semen for insurance.”
Also in the final contention was another heavy weight – the grand champion August shorn Poll Merino ram from the Meyer family’s Mulloorie stud at Brinkworth.
The 160 kilogram had also progressed through the strong wool judging for his exceptional long wool staple and carcase.
Mr Jones said the 23M ram, named Elliott, was a “tremendous exhibit” of a Poll Merino.
“He will breed tremendous sale rams for the pastoral area and he is no slouch, he is just unlucky he encountered the other ram,” he said.
Greenfields was also in the winners circle in the groups claiming the the Brian T Ashby group for the best five sheep, comprising.three rams and two ewes.
They went on to be supreme group ahead of the Poll Merino winning group from Nyowee stud, Balaklava for their “ structure, balance, wool cutting ability and the bone on the rams”, according to Mr Jones.
