Day's standout success in meat sheep

Campbell Town Show Supreme Sheep Exhibit was awarded to Paul and Shannon Day’s Poll Dorset ram on Saturday, with guest judge Dimity Savage from South Australia saying “it really stood out on the day”.

The final decision was made following exhaustive scrutiny of the best British meat sheep in the state and it capped off an exceptional show for the couple’s Penguin-based Sunnybanks and Faraday Park studs, which also won the Poll Dorset Group with two ewes and a ram, Interbreed Ewe with a White Suffolk and Interbreed Ram with a Poll Dorset - three of the biggest classes on the program. (FULL RESULTS AT END)

The June drop Supreme Exhibit ram was described by Ms Savage as “well proportioned, very structurally sound and he presented very well”.

Mr Day said the ram will be for sale later on at the Australasian sheep show in Bendigo in September. 

“We had a really good day, we’re stoked, and really it requires a bit of good luck as well as good management to get these kinds of results,” he said.

Highlights video below - Pinch out to view full screen on devices.

The meat sheep breeds that went head-to-head and muscle-to-muscle in the sheep pavilion included heritage breeds such as Corriedales, Polwarths, Hampshire Downs, Rylands and Saxon sheep.

One of the rare breeds was the showy Dorper which saw three breeders line up in the ring.

Mount Dromedary Dorpers dominated, winning Champion and Reserve Champion Dorper Ram with the first progeny from Mount Dromedary 230018.

It also won Reserve Champion Dorper Ewe and Champion Dorper Group of Three.

Langara Stud was also pleased to take out Champion Hampshire Down Ram and show off their expanded team of Ryelands.

The results of the Peter Williams Scan Class was eagerly awaited with the results of Friday’s ultrasounds of eye muscle from Chris Parker of Summit Park Enterprises, Victoria, adding to visual scoring on the Saturday to determine which sheep would produce the biggest lamb chop.

Molly and Daryl Cornish were thrilled that Cremorne White Suffolk Stud at Oatlands produced the winner with an eye muscle of 52mm and body weight of 99kg.

Sheep section co-ordinator Will Millhouse said that overall entries were up on last year and he was pleased to see so many young people getting involved in showing sheep.

“With the shearing moving into the new shed next door, the sheep classes were able to spread out and more space was allocated to the Junior Judging which had its own viewing stand for spectators,” he said.

“Those young handlers will be showing the champions of the future.”

Students from Yolla, Cressy and Oatlands District Schools battled it out in three sections: Merino Sheep Young Judges, focused on evaluating live Merino sheep for structural correctness, wool quality, and breed characteristics, Meat Sheep Breeds Young Judges where they were evaluating commercial prime lamb and meat sheep breeds based on muscling and fat cover and Merino Fleece Young Judges where they were tested on their ability to judge shorn fleeces. 

The winners will represent Tasmania at the National Finals in Western Australia later in the year.

RESULTS:

Poll Dorsets
Ewe champion: Sunnybanks
Ram: Sunnybanks

Hampshire
Ewe: Landara
Ram: Yollandra

Southdown
Ewe: Chasm Park
Ram: Chasm Park

White Suffolk
Ewe: Sunnybanks
Ram: Sunnybanks

Suffolk:
Ewe: Cressy school
Ram: Cote hele

Ryelands:
Ewe: Langara
Ram: Langara

English Leicester:
Ewe: Nant
Ram: Nant

Romney:
Ewe: Ridgeside Romneys
Ram: RIdgeside Romneys

Dorpers:
Ewe: Mount Dromedary Dorpers
Ram: Mount DromedaryDorpers