Wagin Woolorama: Ray Batt’s Suffolk ram ‘Dewey’ wins Supreme Champion in British and Australasian sheep

A foray into Suffolk breeding just one year ago has paid off for Cuballing local Ray Batt, who scooped the British and Australasian breeds interbreed competition at this year’s Wagin Woolorama with a sizeable eight-month-old ram.

The June 2022-drop beauty is now destined to compete at the Williams Gateway Expo and Perth Royal Show after stealing the show ring in Wagin’s prestigious interbreed competition after a trio of judges agreed it was simply too good to ignore.

There were 271 exhibitors across the B&A shed this year, from 23 studs representing five breeds.

Mr Batt’s ram rose through the ranks after earlier winning the Ram Under 1 Year, Born After June 1 class, before going on to be named Champion Suffolk Ram and Supreme Champion Ram of All Breeds, and finally the Supreme Champion B&A Sheep.

In the final hour, it faced off against a 10-month-old White Suffolk ewe from Ryan and Courtney Marwick’s Codji Springs stud, a five-year-old family business based at Pumphrey’s Bridge near Wandering.

The ewe came out of the Ewe Under One Year, Born before May 31 class, and was named the Champion White Suffolk Ewe, Grand Champion White Suffolk and Supreme Champion Ewe of All Breeds.

Codji Springs owners Ryan and Courtney Marwick were on hand with their daughters Asha, 2, and Kaylee, 4, to accept the Reserve Champion B&A Sheep Sash — after the ewe was named the best ewe in the B&A shed — and were thrilled with the result.

Wagin Woolorama British and Australasian breeds competition judges Grant Bingham, Adrian Vetch and Todd Wilson with Elders stud stock agent Michael O’Neill deliberated over the decision but in the end, the ram was too good.

Mr Batt, who also owns Goldenover Ile de France stud, said he was “over the moon” after registering the stud just 18 months ago.

It was the first time he brought Suffolks to Woolorama, and he carefully selected a trio of triplets called Hughey, Dewey and Louie.

“These are the first three Suffolks I have exhibited... so to have these three win is just amazing,” Mr Batt said.

Mr Batt said the ram had shown exceptional growth rates since birth, after putting on more than 400g per day.

“I have always known he was special, I have photos of him from when he was a lamb,” he said.<

“He just stood out, and talking to the guy he said he can go out in the paddock and name the Karangie rams.”

With his stud in its infancy, Mr Batt said the win had given him “a lot to think about”, in terms of whether to expand.

“I have to go home and seriously think about it, because I have already had quite a few offers to buy him come through,” he said.

“It has lifted my interest and passion.”

Mr Batt currently has just 10 Suffolk stud ewes, and the trio of rams at his Cuballing farm.

“It is a good carcase breed, they are easy do-ers and their temperament is spot on for me,” he said.

Each of the three rams was sired by Kerangi 192484, a ram sold for $11,5000 at a dispersal sale by Kerangie in Victoria in 2021.

Mr Batt imported semen into WA, and found the progeny’s growth rates were “just incredible”.

“I am getting higher growth rates out of this ram than any others,” he said.

“We scanned him two weeks before Woolorama, and I worked out his growth rate was 498 grams per day.

“On the day of the scan he was 210 days of age, and he weighed 104kg... he’s amazing.”

With two small cheerleaders by their side, the Marwick family of Codji Springs were also elated with their wins.

Their ewe, born in May 2022 and sired by Codij Springs 200083, was born out of an embryo transfer program using one of Codji Springs’ most impressive stud sires and keeper rams.

She rose through the ranks from the Ewe Born Before May 21 Class, Champion White Suffolk ewe, Grand Champion White Suffolk, and finally the Supreme Champion Interbreed Ewe.

“She is a nice type of ewe, and he has produced some great sheep,” Mr Marwick said.

“She has plenty of type and the feminine characteristics to stand out as a well-structured sheep.”

The Marwicks founded Codji Springs in 2018 and had their first drop of lambs one year later.

Since then, they have focused on quality rather than quantity and building their numbers, with 200 ewes mated this year.

They brought 14 ewes and rams to Woolorama — their second time exhibiting at the event.

Their other successes on the day included winning the Ram Lamb August-drop and Ewe Lamb August-drop classes, as well as the Ewe Over 1 Year Class.

“It’s a good chance to catch up with people and to compare your sheep, and to see what others are doing,” Mr Marwick said.

Competing in the B&A shed this year were nine White Suffolk studs, six Poll Dorset studs, three Ile de France studs and one Corridale stud from WA College of Agriculture — Denmark.

In the interbreed group judging competition, the three judges were not all in agreement, but it was the Poll Dorset entries from two studs that swept all the major prizes.

To the delight of the Squires family, of Shirlee Downs stud in Quairading, their Poll Dorset group of two ewes and two rams were sashed the respected champions after some deliberation.

The interbreed Champion of Champions win was claimed by Max Whyte, of Brimfield Poll Dorset stud in Kendenup, with his pair of one ram and one ewe.

Mr Whyte also was awarded wins in the interbreed group of three ewes and the interbreed group of one ram and two ewes to cap a very successful show.

The runs on the board for Mr Whyte in the interbreed competition helped him gain most points in the section to take the Cambell Nalder Memorial trophy.

B&A Sheep Breeds Show steward Roy Addis said there was a quality line up of sheep.

“All of the breeds reperesented extremely well, and the show ran very smoothly,” he said.

“The quality was exceptional, especially for the White Suffolks and Suffolks.”

CHAMPIONS

Supreme Champion Exhibit: Goldenover Suffolk stud, Cuballing (ram)

Supreme Campion All Breeds Ram: Goldenover stud (Suffolk)

Reserve Supreme Champion All Breeds Ram: Brimfield Stud (Poll Dorset)

Supreme Champion All Breeds ewe: Codji Springs White Suffolk Stud (White Suffolk)

Reserve Supreme Champion All Breeds Ewe: Sasimwa (Suffolk)

Champion Group of One Ram and Two Ewes: Brimfield Stud (Poll Dorset)

Champion Group of Two Rams and Two Ewes: Shirlee Downs Stud (Poll Dorset)

Champion Group of Three Ewes: Brimfield Stud (Poll Dorset)

Champion Pair of Ram and ewe: Brimfield Stud

Champion of Champions Paid of One Ram and One Ewe: Brimfield Stud (Poll Dorset)

Grand Champion Suffolk: Goldenover Stud

Champion Suffolk Ram: Goldenover Stud

Reserve Champion Suffolk Ram: Goldenover Stud

Champion Suffolk Ewe: Sasimwa Stud

Reserve Champion Suffolk Ewe: Karinya Stud

Grand Champion Poll Dorset: Brimfield Stud (ram)

Champion Poll Dorset ram: Brimfield Stud

Champion Poll Dorset Ewe: Brimfield Stud

Reserve Champion Poll Dorset Ewe: Shirlee Downs Stud

Grand Champion White Suffolk: Codji Springs stud (ewe)

Champion White Suffolk Ram: Shirlee Downs stud

Reserve Champion White Suffolk Ram: Shirlee Downs stud

Reserve Champion White Suffolk ewe: Kalgan Stud

Grand Champion Ile de France: Alcostro Stud (ewe)

Champion Ile de France ram: Monteray

Reserve Champion Ile de France Ewe: Goldenover Stud

Grand Champion Corriedale: Inlet Views (ewe)

Champion Corriedale Ram: Inlet Views

Reserve Champion Corriedale Ram: Inlet Views stud

Champion Corriedale Ewe: Inlet Views Stud

Reserve Champion Corriedale Ewe: Inlet Views Stud