A six-tooth medium wool August shorn ram shown by Chris Clonan and family, Alfoxton stud, Armidale, took out the NSW supreme exhibit at the 2019 Rabobank Dubbo Merino National show and sale.
The ram had earlier won the August shorn medium wool section and then awarded grand champion August shorn ram before standing against all other Merino and Poll Merino champions for the supreme accolade, narrowly beating the Kerrilyn grand champion Merino ewe and champion strong wool August shorn from Norm and Kerri Weir, Kerrilyn stud, Dunluce, Victoria for the award.
This year a total of 317 sheep were exhibited in single classes made up of 185 Merino and 132 Poll Merino exhibits, plus 36 sale rams.
The Alfoxton ram beat Warooka, South Australia-based Orrie Cowie stud's six-tooth ram in class judging before gaining the grand championship with the Dalla family's ram awarded the reserve ribbon.
Grand champion August shorn Merino ewe was the six-tooth from Kerrilyn stud with Grathlyn stud's six-tooth superfine champion awarded reserve.
March shorn grand champion Merino ram broad ribbon went to a two-tooth strong wool champion from Towalba stud of Warick and Barbara Kopp, Peak Hill, with reserve awarded ti a Nerstone fine wool champion from the McLaren family, Woolbrook.
Grand champion March shorn Merino ewe award went to the medium wool champion shown by Bundaleer stud of the Lieschke family, Walla Walla, with reserve honours awarded to Tarar Park stud, Boorowa, which stood reserve in the medium section.
Poll Merinos
Rod Miller and family's Glenpaen stud, Horsham, Victoria, exhibited both ram and ewe grand champions in the August shorn Poll Merino section with fine-medium wool champions while Alfoxton stud showed both ram and ewe reserve champions which stood runner-up to Alfoxton in the fine-medium section.
March shorn grand champion ram was the 2019 Riverina Ram of the Year medium wool champion from Poll Boonoke stud, Deniliquin.
Reserve award went to Ross Wells, Willandra stud, Jerilderie, fine-medium champion. Mr Wells also exhibited the grand champion ewe with his two-tooth strong wool champion.
The Rayner family, Lynford Poll stud, Hargraves, took out reserve March shorn ewe with their four-tooth superfine wool champion.