Iconic Hallett stud, Collinsville, made a grand return to the Royal Adelaide Show exhibiting sheep for the first time in decades.
One of these- the winner from one of the biggest classes of the feature show was the under 1.5 year old, no more than two tooth class, medium wool.
After winning the class of about 30 entries the 9.2 micron ram was awarded grand champion March shorn Poll Merino ram.
One of the judges, Peter Rogers, Mt Yulong Poll stud, Telangatuk, Vic, said the decision was not unanimous among the three judges but they were swayed to the May-2021-drop medium wool due to its scale and finish.
"He is a big, upstanding ram with beautiful white wool and a good sirey head on him," he said.
Last month at the Northern SA Merino Expo at Jamestown the ram won the Pringles Crouch March shorn Hogget Ram and was also part of Collinsville's winning Pen of Three Rams.
It will be offered for sale as lot 2 at the stud's annual on-property sale on September 20.
Collinsville stud principal George Millington said he was keen to support the society and make it the "premier event for showing sheep in SA" for Merino SA's Centenary by making a return to showing in Adelaide for the first time since buying the stud in 2014.
"Obviously it is the purest way of trying to tell where you are among your peers in the industry," Mr Millington said.
The grand champion ram was sired by Imperial 521- a ram which Collinsville sold a half share in for $30,000 to Westray stud, Dubbo, NSW.
Also well in contention was the great barrelled, strong wool champion from East Bungaree, Hallett- also owned by Mr Millington and his wife Sophie.
Mr Rogers said the 21.2M ram, which will be a stud reserve, had "outstanding skin, beautiful strong wool and great structure".
Brooks Merino Services' Tony Brooks said the ram had really come on since the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Vic, in July where it was third in a class of about 40 rams.
"He is only a young sheep so he is only starting to move now and magnificent wool, the longer it gets the better it looks," he said.
Both grand and reserve grand champion ewe went to Kevin Crook and Danni Wilson, Tamaleuca stud, Ouyen, Vic, who were thrilled to have taken out the double.
Both their fine and medium wool ewes were sons of Sandalwood Poll rams sired by a Tamaleuca ram which the SA stud purchased at Hamilton Sheepvention a few years ago.
"It helped with us keeping our wool types and putting a little bit of hybrid vigour from that quarter outside influence without getting too much," Mr Crook said.
The fine wool ewe was the judges' pick according to Bruce Dunbabin, Mayfield, Triabunna, Tas, due to her "really sharp, stylish wool and being really well covered" but it was a difficult decision with some great points about all the sheep.
"The reserve was a really balanced ewe, so we were see sawing a little bit," he said.
The grand champion ewe which has been nicknamed Sugar will be shorn after the show and return to the show circuit next year as a full wool.
Champion fine wool ram went to the Boughen family, Kamora Park, Karoonda.
