Perth Royal Show: Meat and heritage sheep shine in Australasian and British sheep breeds competition

The Jim Horwood Sheep Pavilion was abuzz as heritage and meat sheep stud breeders from around the State showcased their animals for the chance to take home a coveted purple sash. From the spiral-fleeced Lincolns to the large Prime Samms, a range of breeds were judged throughout the day across several classes including ewes, rams, lambs and breeders’ groups. The champion ewes and rams of each breed then went head-to-head for the purple sash and title of Grand Champion, the winner of which would later compete against all of the other breeds’ Grand Champion for the Interbreed Grand Champion sash. Australian White Champion Ewe: Windsong Valley Livestock Champion Ram: Windsong Valley Livestock Grand Champion: Windsong Valley Livestock Ewe Judge: Adrian Veitch of Kaya Dorper Stud in Narrogin Adrian Veitch finds it hard to ignore a strong ram in the show ring but it was a long-bodied ewe that caught his eye in the Australian White judging at the Perth Royal Show. Windsong Valley Australian White Stud’s three-year-old ewe, from the Pair of Ewes class, was sashed Grand Champion after facing off against a 1.5 year old ram also from Windsong. The ram earlier won the Ram Between One and Two Years class. Mr Veitch said the Grand Champion Ewe was a prime example of a good breeding ewe, with beautiful skin and good shoulder complemented by her femininity. “All of the sheep in the Australian White were a good example of the breed, they looked nice and had good concentration in the forequarters,” he said. “The ewe was an obvious choice, I normally find it hard to not pick a ram but the ewe was a stand out.” While Bedford-based Windsong was the only entrant in this year’s Australian White competition at the show, Mr Veitch noted the quality was “outstanding”. Ms Chenik said the ewe was a “personal favourite” and hailed from a line purchased from Ardene Australian White Sheep Stud’s relocation sale in 2018. It was the final sale Ardene hosted at its Darlington property in Victoria before relocating to Mt Torrens in South Australia in late 2018 and came just in time for Ms Chenick, who set up her stud that same year. Ms Chenick attended the sale and bought five ewes and a ram for a top of $2750. “She’s long-bodied, soft, early shedding, really nice depth and very feminine features,” she said. “It is a line that has produced extremely successful sheep for us… we have a very strong ewe line that follows this particular dam. Her mother has been the foundation of our stud line.” The ram, with Timor Australian White Stud bloodlines, was also lauded for its frame and structure. Border Leicester Champion Ewe: Kelmscott High School Champion Ram: No Rams Entered Grand Champion: Kelmscott High School Ewe Judge: Jim Glover from JimJan Texels The Border Leicester breed has made a triumphant return to the Perth Royal Show for the first time in three years, with a beautifully-correct ewe with nice wool and strong presence crowned Grand Champion. Kelmscott Senior High School Students beamed with pride as she took the prize, marking the second time the school had exhibited at the Show and their first Grand Champion title. Kelmscott Senior High School teacher Dawn Buchanan said the school’s agricultural program was open to students from Year 7 to 10, and was a perfect path towards the ATAR subject Production Systems or a Certificate II in Rural Operations. The school made a return to the Perth Royal Show with an enthusiastic group of 10 students in Year 10 and 11 this year after a group of three attended to exhibit sheep last year. The students run sheep at a small acreage adjacent to the school and at a larger farm at Martin, with about 60 Merino ewes, four Border Leicesters, and 15 Suffolk ewes with lambs at foot. Earlier in the day, the 15-month-old Grand Champion won the Ewe Under 1.5 Years class. Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association state president Don Cochrane, a former Border Leicester breeder, welcomed the breed’s return to the Show. The sheep were on loan from Eneabba farmer Chris Patmore, after Mr Cochrane asked ASSBA members to donate four Border Leicesters to make sure the breed would still be on display. Mr Cochrane said it was important to have diversity in the classes across the Australasian and British Breeds section, saying Border Leicesters were one of the most important in the past 50 years. He estimated about 160 Border Leicester rams were sold across WA last year, nearly all of which would be used for the production of first cross maternal Merino progeny. “The students went really well, it is a great credit that the school they were able to halter break them and have them ready for the show with five weeks,” Mr Cochrane said. “There were not a lot of sheep that lead quite so well.” Mr Heazlewood said the winning ewe was “very correct with nice wool” and stood beautifully. “Across the board the sheep were a good, with an even line… it was great to see the kids taking pride in what they do,” he said. Dorpers Champion Ewe: Retsae Dorpers Champion Ram: Retsae Dorpers Grand Champion: Retsae Dorpers Ram Judge: Adrian Veitch of Kaya Dorper Stud It was a small showing in the Dorper competition at this year’s Perth Royal Show, with a late withdrawal by Tijale studmaster Philip Sullivan leaving Retsae Dorpers as the only stud entrant. Nonetheless, the sheep on display impressed this year’s judge Adrian Veitch, of Kaya Dorper Stud in Narrogin, who said the Dorpers exhibited were a fine display of the breed. It was Retsae Dorpers’ owners Troy and Tracie Easter’s first time exhibiting at the Perth Royal Show, with the pair bringing nine sheep from the Bindoon-based stud they founded 20 years ago. It was a one-year-old ram born in August last year that took top spot and was crowned Grand Champion, with Mr Veitch saying it deserved the sash for its good muscling and “safe” attributes. He faced off against a two-year old ewe from Retsae, which was from a different sire to the champion ram but the mother of both the one-year-old ewe lamb that won the Ewe Lamb Under 1.5 Years class and the five-month-old ewe lamb that won the Novice Ewe Lamb class. “The ram wins because he is a safe and sound ram, with a good head, a long body, beautiful cover and soft, fully-shedding wool,” Mr Veitch said. “He also has good feet, and a great and safe forequarter which can be hard to find.” The one-year-old ram was out of one an “excellent” ram the Easter family bred themselves, and bore uncanny resemblance to his sire – which Ms Easter described both as “good, wet rams”. “When he is in the paddock you see his muscles rippling under his skin, and he has a great brisket and a good temperament,” Ms Easter said. Earlier in the day, when Mr Veitch crowned the ram the Champion Ram, he said he was a “safe choice” with the best muscling and forequarter on display. The Easters run about 60 purebred Dorper ewes – as well as a blueberry orchard – and in recent years have refined their ewe numbers down from about 80 to really focus on high-quality breeding. “We focus on classing to continually improve our stud,” Ms Easter said. “Our ewe lines go back to our original two ewes we purchased in the early 2000... we have them classed every year and we focus on the best of the best with a big focus on fronts. “You always want to have good fronts on our animals to make sure they stand and lamb well, and the rams continue to work without breaking down.” Ile de France Champion Ewe: Goldenover Champion Ram: Goldenover Grand Champion: Goldenover Ram Judge: Adrian Veitch of Kaya Dorper Stud It was a good day for Goldenover stud master Ray Batt, who scooped Grand Champion with a one-year-old ram with a “long body and long rump” that impressed judge Adrian Veitch. Mr Veitch was taken by the ram after it faced off against a 16-month-old, May 2021 ewe also from Goldenover that earlier won the Under 1.5 Year Old category, saying the ram was an exceptional example of the breed native to the French region of Ile de France near Paris. The ram earlier won the scan category after barnstorming home with 103.6 points, ahead of Tambellup stud Monteray and Mr Batt’s brother’s Wagin-based stud Alcostro. This included 137kg weight, 50.4 EMA, 8.7 fat, 0.368 EMA/WT, 0.064 fat/Wt, 29 EMA/wt and 24.1 fat/Wt, and 15 length, and a subtotal of 68.6. Mr Veitch described the ram as a powerhouse of productivity, with the win adding to the amount of ribbons on the wall at Mr Batt’s house after taking out Grand Champion with a ram last year. “He carries his meat down his legs and was the safest in the forequarter,” Mr Veitch said. “It is a hard thing to breed a really brilliant ram and that is what has been done.” Mr Batt said the ram was sired by a ram he bred, but his mother’s genetics went back to some of the original semen lines he purchased from South Africa more than more than more than 15 years ago. “Right from the word go as a lamb he was so thick, and he scanned so well,” he said. He has 130 ewes and eight stud rams, utilising semen for artificial insemination of the ewes in an effort to diversify his gene pool. He has semen from 11 different sires in storage to ensure the breed’s longevity, and uses Australian Sheep Breeding Values to improve growth rates and fat measurements. Mr Batt brought four ewes and six rams along to this year’s Perth Royal Show, taking home 13 ribbons across the day. There were three studs displaying their sheep in the Ile de France competition – Goldenover of Narrogin, Monteray of Tambellup and Alcostro of Wagin. Together they form three of five Ile de France studs in Australia, according to Mr Batt who has been specialising in the breed for the past 16 years. He was the first breeder to introduce the Ile de France into WA in 2006, using genetics from South Africa before the Federal Government banned semen and embryo imports about seven years ago - which he said had made it difficult to expand the gene pool. “I toured the world in 2008 to try and get a carcase breed to bring into Australia and I just couldn’t get past this breed… they have huge growth, they don’t lay down fat easily,” he said. “They have a tremendous carcase and you can still get a return for your wool.” Mr Veitch said overall, the standard of the stock was very good but encouraged breeders to be a “little careful” with the heavily-muscled animals to avoid ending up with “short rumps”. However, he noted that was his personal preference and agreed the animals on display were great. Lincoln Champion Ewe: Eaglenook Champion Ram: Eaglenook Grand Champion: Eaglenook Ram Judge: Brenton Heazlewood of Melton Park Border Leicester and English Leicester studs A five-year-old ram from Eaglenook was named winner of the Lincolns at this year’s Perth Royal Show, with his “true Lincoln” characteristics pushing him over the line against an Eaglenook ewe. There was just one stud entrant in the Lincoln competition, with the Keysbrook-based Eaglenook bringing home the win with a ram that earlier blitzed the “senior” Over 2.5 Years class. The white-tag, 2017-drop ram was “still holding his own” in the judging ring and on the farm, according to stud owners Ross and Ruth Miller. The couple have run their Lincoln stud for five years and bred sheep for the best part of 20 years, running about 30 Lincoln stud sheep, 400 Wiltipol stud ewes and 50 Wiltshire Horn stud ewes. The Champion Ram was named Grand Champion after a tight contest against one of Eaglenook’s 2018-drop ewes which earlier won the Over 2.5 Years class. Judge Brendon Heazlewood and Lincoln steward Donald Cochrane gave an interesting insight into the breed which was introduced to Tasmania in 1958 to improve the Merino’s carcase and wool length – something Mr Cochrane said some Merino breeders might not like to admit. ASBA gave a short present presentation on each of the breeds to present and provide some commentary on their history, saying people had enjoyed learning about the breed. Mr Cochrane praised Mr Heazlewood’s judging skills, saying it was some of the most thoughtful and in-depth sheep judging he had seen. Mr Heazlewood said the Millers had presented their sheep well, and while the ewe had been a solid contender, the ram was the “clear winner” in his eyes. “He had that thickness with beautiful wool, and is a good representation of the breed,” he said. “The ewe was very good but he ram was the one to go for… the Millers presented their sheep well today although some lacked some condition, it did not take away from the quality of the sheep.” The Millers run about 30 Lincoln sheep at their stud, and brought along four Lincoln rams and five Lincoln ewes to this year’s Perth Royal Show. “He did well for a five-year-old ram, but he holds his own feet-wise and wool-wise,” she said. “He is a good, big ram and stands very tall. Last year he was Champion Ram, and he has always done very well… he’s our prime breeding sire. “The ewe was also very upstanding, with beautiful lamb and a good carcase on her.” Shropshire Champion Ewe: Hazeldean Ferguson Shropshire Stud Champion Ram: HazeldeanFerguson Shropshire Stud Grand Champion: Hazeldean Ferguson Shropshire Ram Judge: Brenton Heazlewood of Melton Park Border Leicester and English Leicester studs Hazeldean Ferguson blitzed the three-stud field in this year’s Perth Royal Show Shropshire competition, with a “well-balanced” and muscular 18-month-old ram taking out Grand Champion. Exhibited by Year 11 student Pepper Wortley, 16, from the WA College of Agriculture – Narrogin, the ram owned by Hazeldean Ferguson founders Ross and Alex Robertson was the stand out winner after facing off against a ewe from the same stud. Judging the field this year was well-known Tasmanian sheep breeder Brenton Heazlewood, who owns Melton Park Border Leicester and English Leicester studs in Tasmania and was judging at the Perth Royal Show for the first time. Mr Heazlewood said it was difficult to pick between the Champion Ram and Champion Ewe, which both exhibited good traits and showed “prime examples” of the breed. “The ram was well-balanced with a good backline, he was well-muscled and stood and walked well,” he said. “His pigmentation was good, with a good mouth setting and teeth that met well. Overall he was very well balanced. “It was a hard choice… the ewe was feminine and lovely, with a lovely backline and good muscle… she had nice setting in the shoulders. I felt the ram was better on the day.” Mr Heazlewood – who also judged the Lincolns, Texels and Wiltipols alongside the Shropshires at this year’s Show, said he had been impressed by the quality of the stock across the breeds. Mr Robertson, who bought a 6ha property in the Ferguson Valley about 10 years ago, said the ram was a “COVID baby” after being born in late July 2020. The Ross family established the stud after buying a Shropshire flock from the Esperance Farm Training Centre and said the couple loved the breed for its good nature and productivity. Mr Robertson said he was pleased with the win and attributed it in part to his school friend and RASWA sheep councillor in charge Peter Gelmi – a Burekup farmer who helps him to run the stud. Mr Gelmi said the winning Shropshire ram was of Orange Grove bloodline and sired by a ram called George the First, who was brought to the farm in 2017 to bolster its genetics. Earlier in the day, it won the Ram Over 1.5 Years and Under 2.5 Years class, where it was the only entrant. He was the stud sire of various lambs exhibited by Hazeldean at the Perth Royal Show. The champion ewe came out of the Ewe Under 1.5 Years class, where she won against two other ewes – one from Hazeldean and one from Avonfare Shorpshire. Prime Samms Champion Ewe: Shirlee Downs Champion Ram: Shirlee Downs Grand Champion: Shirlee Downs Ram Judge: Gordon Close of Closeup Suffolk stud Gordon Close had his work cut out for him as the judge of the Prime Samms at this year’s Perth Royal Show, with an impressive line-up from Quairading-based Shirlee Downs on display. It was a one-stud showing but that didn’t stop it being a tight competition with a one-year-old ram born in June 2021 crowned the Grand Champion thanks to his length and superior meat quality. Mr Close, who travelled from Finley in New South Wales, said it had been a difficult choice between the Champion Ram and Ewe. He owns Closeup Poll Dorset and Suffolk Studs, and said judging the small field of Prime Samms on Wednesday was the perfect way to ease into what was set to be a huge day judging Poll Dorsets on Thursday. “The length and his meat quality is very good, he was a bit better of the other rams but of the four on show it was very hard to choose,” he said. “He was very well muscled. The reserve ram was very close, but the sheer length and meat quality down his back length meant he was the grand champion. “I’m really to be here at the Perth Royal Show, I’ve heard a lot about it so I am glad to be here.” Shirlee Downs stud principal Adrian Squires said the ram was so good, the family planned to keep him in the stud to bolster their Prime Samm genetics with his fantastic wool traits. “He has good wool quality, he’s 99 per cent comfort. He is similar breeding to what we have, but that wool quality is what we are looking for now,” he said. “The ewe was straight out of the paddock, and will go back to breeding… she is just a handy ewe with good wool on her and is fairly meaty on the back end.” Shirlee Downs exhibited six Prime Samms as a way to showcase the breed, including four rams and two ewes, and run about 140 Prime Samm stud ewes and put up about 80 rams for sale each year. They use Prime Samms as first-cross mothers, putting a Prime Samm over a Merino ewe before that first cross ewe will be mated to White Suffolks or Poll Dorsets to get a good crossbred. “We find the mothering is good… the lambs grow really well between January and March,” he said. Texels Champion Ewe: JimJan Champion Ram: JimJan Grand Champion: JimJan Ewe Judge: Brenton Heazlewood of Melton Park Border Leicester and English Leicester studs It was a “beautiful ewe” with feminine muscle that caught the eye of Perth Royal Show Texel judge Brenton Heazlewood, who labelled her a “clear winner” after first scooping the Under 1.5 Year Class. It was a one-stud field in the Texel competition at this year’s Perth Royal Show, but despite the lack of inter-stud competition it was still a tight contest between a field of good examples of the breed. The one-year-old ewe, born in June 2021, was crowned Grand Champion after being placed against a one-year-old ram born around the same time that won the Texel Scan Class earlier in the day. Judge Brenton Heazlewood praised her attributes, saying she was good on her feet and well-balanced, with good pigmentation as a “good, well-balanced example of the Texel breed”. “The ram was also very good but she was the clear winner,” he said. JimJan Texel stud owner Jim Glover was confident in his line-up of nine ewes and rams to compete across at this year’s Perth Royal Show, saying he would have had a hard time picking the best. “I was very happy with all of my entries, I thought they were very even and would have had a hard time judging them,” he said. “I liked the shape of all of the ewes, they were all well-muscled.” Mr Glover started the stud in 1994, supplying commercial lambs to a Perth butcher and now runs 150 stud ewes and about 65 stud rams from his Boyup Brook property. He has exhibited at the show since 1998 to showcase the breed and previously enjoyed the rivalry in the Prime Lamb Carcase Competition, which was put on ice in 2020 and has not returned since. Mr Glover’s main aim was to put meat on the Texels and achieve high yielding carcases, but said he also loved the temperament and appearance of the breed. “I love their temperament and quality of carcase, I can sell commercial lambs all the time – you never have a problem and they are such a nice breed to work with,” he said. Suffolk Champion Ewe: Karinya Champion Ram: Cheetara Grand Champion: Cheetara Ram Judge: Pam Hinkley of Pamellen Stud in Clackline It was a hard task to judge an impressive line-up of Suffolks at this year’s Perth Royal Show, with several studs throwing their hat in the ring and a ram from Cheetara crowned Grand Champion. It took more than four hours to work through the long list of classes for the Suffolk breed, which has increased in popularity in recent years, with judge Pam Hinkley noting he was a stand out. In the end, it came down to a ewe from Karinya and a ram from Cheetara that were both named Grand Champions before the ram was sashed the Grand Champion. Ms Hinkley, who has run Pamellen stud in Clackline since 1974, said both were excellent examples of the breed but the “superb” ram had caught her eye almost straight away. “He came out in the pairs and I fell in love with him… he’s so well put together,” she said. “It is hard to fault him at all, with great fleshing.” The one- year-old ram, born in July 2021, earlier won the Pair of Rams Under 1.5 Years class. Cheetara stud owner Nick Cheetham said the ram – which had bloodlines from the now dispersed Kerangie Suffolks - had sired many good progeny. “The ram had good bone, good structure, and good length of body… he was a very good Suffolk type,” he said. The Grand Champion ewe from Karinya was also lauded for its traditional meat sheep attributes, with Ms Hinkley saying she had good fleshing throughout. South Suffolk Champion Ewe: Iveston Champion Ram: Iveston Grand Champion: Iveston Judge: Glenn Cole of Sasimwa Suffolk and White Suffolk stud The South Suffolk sheep breed has again been recognised with a well-structured ram taking out the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association Interbreed Competition at this year’s Perth Royal Show after scooping the Grand Champion title in the breed competition. The June 2021-born ram, exhibited by Iveston Suffolk Stud in Williams, took the elusive purple sash and was named the Supreme Champion at the end of the day on Thursday. He was later sold to the Kennedy family at Williams for $2500 at the All Breeds Ram Sale on Friday. Iveston principal Grant Bingham said he was just a “good sheep” with plenty of scale. “The South Suffolks are great for mating ewes, they produce a good lamb with no problems and that is basically the marker we have,” he said. “They are a tough sheep, nothing knocks them… they are such easy lambing.” The breed — well-known for its dark head, ears and legs — has enjoyed two years of major success at the Show, after a ewe exhibited by the Simpson family of Quairading’s Pettison Park won Supreme Champion in the ASSBA Interbreed Competition last year. This year’s South Suffolk judge Glenn Cole of Sasima Suffolk and White Suffolk Studs said the ram had good length of loin, a good back end, and was not “overdone”. “He’s just a very good example of the breed,” he said. In the end, it came down to the South Suffolk ram and a Wiltipol ewe from Eaglenook Stud in Keysbrook — which was named Supreme Champion Ewe — but the judges agreed the ram was too good to ignore. Mr Cole — who named the ram as Champion Ram and Grand Champion during the South Suffolk Competition earlier that day — said both sheep were fine examples of their respective breeds. The ram started its journey on the Pair of Rams Under 1.5 Years Class in the South Suffolk competition, where Iveston was the only entrant after Pettison Park decided not to exhibit this year. Wiltshire Horn Champion Ram: Eaglenook Champion Ewe: Eaglenook Grand Champion: Eaglenook Ewe Judge: Brenton Heazlewood of Melton Park Border Leicester and English Leicester studs She was potentially the oldest sheep in the Jim Horwood Sheep Pavilion, but a six-year-old Wiltshire Horn with a lamb at foot still impressed the judges at this year’s Perth Royal Show. The black-tag, 2016-drop ewe with a lamb at foot was a fine demonstration of the breed, according to judge Brenton Heazlewood. He said the ewe had good muscling and condition, and still stood and carried herself well for an older ewe. “She is doing a good job with her lamb, and that’s what we have ewes for,” he said. The Millers were the only entrants in this year’s Perth Royal Show Wiltshire Horn Competition after the dispersal of Gidgegannup-based stud Nardie Wiltshires two years ago. Ms Millar said she hoped there would be new players enter the Wiltshire Horn arena because she enjoyed having some competition. “I’ve kept the horns because some of the best Wiltipol rams have been bred using a Wiltipol ram or Wiltshire ewe, or visa versa… we are getting some fantastic progeny coming through. “We are getting some excellent eating quality lambs… that little bit of horn gives a bit more strength.” The Millars were the only entrants in this year’s Perth Royal Show Wiltshire Horn Competition after the dispersal of Gidgegannup-based stud Nardie Wiltshires in December 2020. Ms Millar said she hoped there would be new players enter the Wiltshire Horn arena because she enjoyed having some competition. “I have always liked the horns, people don’t generally like horned cattle and sheep, but I think the horns have a very important role to play in the breeding,” she said. “Some of the best meat is out of a pure-bred Wiltshire horn.” Wiltipoll Champion Ram: Eaglenook Champion Ewe: Eaglenook Grand Champion: Eaglenook Ewe Judge: Brenton Heazlewood of Melton Park Border Leicester and English Leicester studs A last-minute decision to enter a five-year-old ewe with a lamb at foot in the Ewe Over 1.5 Years Production Class at the Perth Royal Show paid dividends for Eaglenook Wiltipoll stud owners Ruth and Ross Miller. The mother was named Grand Champion in the Wiltipoll breed judging at this year’s Perth Royal Show, after taking out Champion Ewe earlier and then facing off against the Champion ram – also from Eaglenook - for the top title. It was just the start of what would be a highly successful day for this particular Wiltipoll ewe, which went on to be sashed Supreme Champion Ewe in the Australasian Stud Sheep Breeders Association Interbreed Competition on Thursday. With a three-month-old lamb born in June at foot, Ms Miller said she originally planned to enter the 2017-born ewe in the production class at a different show but decided to bring her to the Perth Royal Show. “She is an older ewe but she’s doing a beautiful job as a mother,” she said. “She’s a lovely ewe, I originally picked this ewe for the production class as she looked so good I thought I’d try her in the older class. We had some great ewes that year and she is just one of them.” The ewe celebrated her win with a kick as Brenton Heazlewood, of Melton Park Border Leicester and English Leicester studs, laid the purple sash on her. “She is a fabulous ewe, I think they are both nice sheep but the ewe was so well balanced and doing such a good job with that lamb,” Mr Heazlewood said. “She’s feminine and up on her feet. If I wanted to get picky, there are a few things I’d improve with the ram whereas there is little to improve with the ewe.” The Millers run 400 head of Wiltipoll stud ewes at Keysbrook, with a focus on breeding the shedding sheep with classic British Breed traits of good muscling. An Australian breed, Wiltipolls stemmed from Wiltshire Horns but were crossed back over five generations to create what the Miller family believe is a superior breed.