ORROROO Area School took home five ribbons from the School Wether competition this year, including second place in the most professional school team.
The school has been coming to Adelaide for five years, and this was its most successful outing yet.
Other accolades this year included first place in the best pen of three wethers, fourth in the three most valued skins section, fifth in the weight gain category and sixth place in the three most valuable fleeces.
Orroroo agriculture teacher Sarah Hazel was the 2017 SA Rural Ambassador, and along with helping her 11 student team – including a French exchange student - was competing herself in the National Rural Ambassador award held at Adelaide this year.
She said placing in the most professional school team award, which they had not featured in before, was recognition of the student’s passion and self-motivation.
“Their independence and dedication to this program has been really evident,” Ms Hazel said.
“It makes a big difference because they want to do it and they are really keen… it does show the positives and highlights of this program because they really want to be involved in it.
“It really is a fantastic way for students to be in the sheep shed.
“It is an opportunity for them to really see this industry – some of the it might be encouragement to go further with it and for others it might be brand new.”
Coming from a sheep producing area in the Mid North, Ms Hazel said she has students come through that likely already intend to be in the industry – but the program is a good way to show them the opportunities available.
This year Orroroo’s team of three wethers were the same bloodline as the school is using across its flock of ewes, which Ms Hazel says is a nice interconnection between the competition and their own breeding program.