Kangaroo Island stud Taljar, Parndana, claimed the broadribbon double in the Polwarth breed's centenary showing, making it even more significant for the McArdle family.
It continued an unbelievable year in the show ring for David and Lynne McArdle and their children Talisa and Jared, who also came away with the majority of the broadribbons at the recent Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, Vic, in July.
This included champion ewe and both junior champion ram and ewe.
But this time it was different animals in the stud's show team that rose to the top.
A two-year-old Polwarth ram with tremendous sire appeal was given the nod by judge Andrew Donnan, Anden White Suffolk stud, Woomelang, Vic.
He described the champion ram, Taljar 363 light blue, as a "big, strong, bold animal with superior sire ability".
"It was correct all over and a nice type wool and big carcase - everything I was looking for," he said.
The McArdles also rate the 23.1 micron ram as "one of the best" they have bred in 25 years since establishing their stud.
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"This ram is going to help turn the breed around, it has helped develop a lot of interest in the breed already," David McArdle said.
It was bred in the purple, being a grandson of Tiny Tim - the biggest Polwarth ram ever shown at Adelaide, weighing more than 160 kilograms.
The 2019 champion ram, which weighed 134.5kg, also towered above the other entries.
It had a great carcase with an eye muscle depth of 48 millimetres and 12.5mm fat depth, along with a quality fleece which had a coefficient of variation of 19 and comfort factor of 97 per cent.
At the recent Australian Sheep & Wool Show the ram attracted a $US5000 offer from Uruguyan breeders, but the McArdles chose to retain the ram in their stud flock.
"It has everything - it has the length, the width, it has got the white, bright wool and the coverage," Talisa said.
"We have already got 50 lambs on the ground and they are shaping up well."
For grand champion ewe, Mr Donnan selected a "big, strong, well put together ewe" that had won the over 1.5-year-old class.
Taljar 452 weighed 95kg with 44EMD and 12mm fat and was sired by Taljar's grand champion longwool ram from the 2017 Royal Adelaide Show.
The 22.4M ewe's test results included 3.6SD, 16.1CV and 98CF.
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Reserve champion ewe went to Adelaide Hills breeders Peter Williams and Caroline Sanders, Narang stud, Mount Torrens.
The couple were thrilled to win their first broadribbon with a young ewe that impressed judge Andrew Donnan, Anden, Woomelang, Vic, with its "great balance and fine fleece".
Taljar also won both the group classes, the group of three rams and the breeders group, but the McArdles had to stave off stiff competition from within the family, with the five sheep exhibited by Talisa and her partner Jock Kerr, Taljade stud, placing well.
The McArdles, who have been using Polwarths commercially since the late 1950s, describe them as the "best of both worlds" with good wool and good carcase, especially in high rainfall areas.
"It is what others are trying to breed for but it is what we have already got," Jared said.
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