WIMMERA sheep breeders have come home with a swag of awards after attending the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo at the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 142nd annual show ran from Friday to Sunday and many studs from the region took the opportunity to showcase their top ewes and rams.
Brimpaen's Glenpaen Merino and Poll Merino Stud had a steller showing, winning three major merino awards.
First their 19.2 micron, two-year-old poll merino ewe took out the grand champion sash.
She was then crowned grand champion merino ewe of the show, an award previously won by Glenpaen in 2015.
Then Glenpaen's 17.5 micron fine wool merino ram won grand champion merino ram of the show.
The stud's grand champion ewe and ram then did battle for supreme champion of the show.
Stud principal Rod Miller was expecting the ewe to take the award but the majority of the judges gave the ram the nod.
Mr Miller said he arrived at the show knowing the Glenpaen team was "handy" but didn't expect the triumph that unfolded over the next two days.
"It's something I've been dreaming about for a long time," he said.
Mr Miller and wife, Sue, and their children Will, Harry, Baylee and Alanna, run about 700 merino and poll merino stud ewes.
The Millers naturally mate the bulk of their ewes but regularly use outside rams in an artificial insemination program.
Their supreme ram was sired by a homebred ram, Glenpaen Magic, who was by a Nerstane ram.
Their champion ewe was by Willandra GP, a ram that has "bred a lot of good sheep", Mr Miller said.
The Millers aim to breed big, growthy, easy-care sheep that cut plenty of wool.
"In our environment the wool has got to be white and waxy and put up with high rainfall," Mr Miller said.
"We are up against the Grampians and we get a lot of showers and wet days when the sheep don't dry out so our wool has to be bright and waxy."
Antwerp's Jorgensen family also had great results at the show.
Mertex Texel and White Suffolk Stud's Tim Jorgensen said it was an "exceptional" weekend, with the stud taking home several awards.
The stud won champion white suffolk ewe and reserve senior champion white suffolk ram.
In the texel breed section, the stud won champion ram, champion ewe and most successful exhibitor.
"It was a very good weekend - we took about 28 sheep up to Bendigo, about 15 white suffolks and 13 texels," Mr Jorgensen said.
"There is quite a bit of work involved in getting them ready."
Mr Jorgensen said while the stud had received good results in the past, they had never won both champion ram and champion ewe before.
St Helens Plains stud Aurora Park was awarded most successful exhibitor in the Hampshire Downs breed, and also won champion ram and champion ewe.
Judge Jeff Johnson said the champion ram was exceptional. "He had a great head, with a lot of meat through his twist, great bone and paraded well," he said.
Mr Johnson said the reserve champion ram, also won by Aurora Park, was a smaller ram but very structurally correct.
Glenlee Park Border Leicester Stud also had a success at the show.
Stud principal Will Schilling won junior champion ewe, champion ewe and supreme long wool exhibit.
He said it was very successful weekend.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.