A trip from Tas was made all the worthwhile for Noblelee stud from Campania, who took out the supreme exhibit in a very large showing of Suffolks at the Royal Adelaide Show on Sunday.
Overall, 18 exhibitors from four states brought about 140 Suffolks - making it the second largest showing in the meat breeds at Adelaide.
Noblelee stud principal Brett Stokes said he had had a rough ride on the boat coming over, so had been worried about the effects on his six-ram showing team.
But his concerns were allayed after judge Anthony Hurst, Seriston White Suffolks, Avenue Range, named his grand champion ram the supreme exhibit.
"Yeah you could say we were pretty chuffed," he said.
"It was the AI ram's first showing, and it was the first time we had used Collie Hills genetics from New Zealand.
"We did a late program, but it produced some good lambs, so we brought them over to Adelaide."
Out of the August-born class, the 113.5-kilogram ram had a 42-millimetre eye muscle depth and 6.5mm fat, with Lambplan figures of 10.2 post-weaning weight, -1.1 PWfat and -0.6 PWEMD.
All the rams in the line-up nearly had that, but the top ram just had the best carcase traits, balance and lambing ease the Suffolks are well-known for.
- ANTHONY HURST
Mr Stokes didn't think it was "as big as the other sheep, but was packed full of meat and muscle".
"He has a perfect sirey outlook, beautiful Suffolk head, good on his feet, strong shoulders, tremendous meat and fleshing through the hindquarters," he said.
Judge Hurst said from a "magnificent line-up" of rams, it was a "very worthy" exhibit, "true to type".
"It had a good cut off on the hairline, length of carcase, refinement through the front end and top line, and a tremendous shoulder set to balance that front end," he said.
"All the rams in the line-up nearly had that, but the top ram just had the best carcase traits, balance and lambing ease the Suffolks are well-known for."
The Day family from Allendale stud, Bordertown, were also pleased following the judging, taking home grand champion ewe and reserve and the reserve grand champion ram among their haul of ribbons and ultimately going on to be named most successful Suffolk exhibitor.
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Stud principal Alastair Day said the ewe, from the July-drop class, was his "favourite animal" in his 18-Suffolk show team.
"Such a good quality animal, so meaty and correct, very hard to fault," he said.
"Her sire [Allendale 1830/16] is one we have used since 2017, but not much anymore because we have so much of his progeny in the stud, but he still seems to produce lambs like this, so we may continue.
"His first son won Melbourne Royal interbreed in 2018, and he also produced the Australian record-price ram in 2019."
The 92.5kg champion ewe had 46EMD and 11fat, with Lambplan figures of 14.6PWWT, -0.8PWfat and 1PWEMD.
Mr Day said the ewe would now returned to the stud to "hopefully breed something special".
Judge Hurst said it had been a very hard decision to split the Allendale reserve and champion ewes.
"The only thing that split them was a little bit of breed type," he said.
"The champion had tremendous volume, capacity through the midriff, her top line, adequate muscling through that hindquarter, wrapped up with a magnificent skin and breed characteristics."
The Days also won all of the group classes, adding to potentially one of the largest points totals in the history of Suffolk showing at Adelaide.
Alisha Fogden
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
