Showing sheep often involves two or even three generations of the one family, but it is far less common to see two judges from the same family in the ring.
That was what happened at Adelaide this year with father and son Ian and Brayden Gilmore, Baringa White Suffolk, Border Leicester and Australian White studs, Oberon, NSW, among the nine respected judges in the meat sheep.
It was the third time the Gilmores have stood in the same interbreed ring, also judging together at the 2016 Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Bendigo, Vic, and at Hamilton Sheepvention, Vic, about five years ago.
Brayden said it was a huge honour to stand in the ring with his father.
"He has judged at all of the royal shows across Australia and been known as being one of the better livestock judges, so to be able to judge alongside him and stand back and see how similar we were or how we disagreed was good," Brayden said.
Brayden, who also runs the Premier White Suffolk stud, said he was looking for structural correctness and breed type in the White Suffolk ewe classes that he judged and was impressed by the line-ups.
His first judging appointment was the Royal Geelong Show in 2012.
"Being a young person, it has taken a bit to break in when you have well-known middle-aged and older judges getting about - when you do get your go you want to put your stamp on your judging style," he said.
Adelaide holds a special place for Brayden, with Premier setting a new $43,000 record price in the Elite Stud Sale last year for their supreme exhibit.
I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Brayden's ability so to see him recognised by his peers is just wonderful.
- Ian Gilmore, Oberon, NSW
Ian, who judged the Border Leicesters and Poll Dorsets, said it was a "great thrill" to see Brayden given a chance to judge at a prestigious royal.
"I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Brayden's ability so to see him recognised by his peers is just wonderful," he said.
The experienced judge has judged at Adelaide numerous times since 2004, when he first judged the Border Leicesters and Texels.
This year he said the standard of the short and longwools in the interbreed was outstanding.
"The interbreed champions this year were superior to anything I have seen here in the past," he said.
The Gilmores have also taken home plenty of broadribbons from Adelaide, exhibiting White Suffolks for more than a decade and Australian Whites for the past three years.
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