Agriculture
21 July, 2023
Star studded! Local sheep best in nation
LODDON Merino studs stood tall against the best sheep and fleeces in Australia at the weekend. Terrick West Poll Stud at Prairie West was awarded the national March-shorn pairs champion and reserve champion sashes for the second year. It is the...
LODDON Merino studs stood tall against the best sheep and fleeces in Australia at the weekend.
Terrick West Poll Stud at Prairie West was awarded the national March-shorn pairs champion and reserve champion sashes for the second year.
It is the first time a stud has achieved back-to-back double success in the event’s history.
Calivil’s Kedleston Park picked up champion performance exhibit plus most valuable fleece.
Matching the competition was the commercial flock fleece of Pyramid Hill’s John Farrer, awarded the reserve champion sash in the same section.
And one of Victoria’s newer Merino studs, Rod and Nicola Kirk’s Longdale Park at Berrimul, came home from the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo with the fine-medium two permanent teeth champion’s sash.
“The Loddon Valley is doing well ... standing at the top of the line for sheep and wool against studs from all over the country,” said Terrick West’s Ross McGauchie.
“We have very good sheep being bred in our district by local studs. Our local studs are consistently competing with the best in Australia.”
Mr McGauchie is a former president and current committee member of the show organisers Australian Sheep Breeders’ Association and was awarded life membership at the weekend.
There was success for Norm Weir’s Kerrilyn Stud at Dunluce. The Loddon Valley Stud Merino Breeders’ Association member won the medium wool champion Merino ewe and then went on to win grand champion Medium wool ewe. Kerrilyn also won the champion fine medium poll Merino ewe.
The weekend’s results were achieved against studs from every Australian state. “We are holding our own as a region when put alongside other sheep and fleeces,” said Kedleston Park’s John Humbert.
READ MORE ABOUT LOCAL SUCCESSES IN THIS WEEK'S LODDON HERALD