Judge Carol Jackson, Moyston, said the Aurora Park, St Helens Plains, ewe was "doing the job.

"I didn't really have any hesitation, I just thought she was a lovely ewe," Ms Jackson said.

"I don't have a lot of difficulty in giving a supreme ribbon to a ram or a ewe, because over the years you will see certain ewe lines have impacted a stud very significantly and a ram can be a bit unknown, to begin with, but can have a huge impact.

READ MORE:

"But she is there, she has got a lamb, she is a beautiful, beautiful ewe, and a lovely example of the breed."

Ms Jackson said she was very impressed with all the sheep presented for judging, particularly the muscling they displayed.

"Often they are not given a lot of recognition, but they are a great breed, really," she said.

Aurora Park co-principal Mathew Hill, St Helens Plains, said he wasn't surprised the ewe had taken out the top ribbon.

"I knew she was a real cracker of a ewe," Mr Hill said

"She is real deep-bodied with just a beautiful shape."

"She stood up really well and she has a phenomenal lamb on her.

"It was fairly hard to go past here and I think everyone in the crowd knew the ribbon was going to her, before the judge announced it."

Aurora Park also took out the champion ram ribbon, with Jurambula, Ryan, NSW, taking out the reserve ribbon.

Mr Hill said the ewe won the grand champion ram and ewe at the Sydney Royal Show in 2019.

He paired the ewe with another female and also won the Victorian interbreed group and were in the interbreed group of four at the Royal Melbourne Show.

OTHER NEWS:

"She has had a fairly good career and this one just tops it off," Mr Hill said.

The four-year old ewe had one of the highest measurements for intramuscular fat and shear force of any Hampshire Down animal, he said.

She had a post-weaning weight of 11.65kg, a post-weaning eye muscle depth of 2.37 millimetres, a post-weaning fat of 2.58mm and an intramuscular fat of 0.68 per cent.

Her shear force was -4.64.

Mr Hill said last year he flushed the ewe for embryos and had "quite a few good lambs on the ground.

"They are really going to help develop the stud, with more sheep like her," he said.

She was sired by a New Zealand ram, from the now dispersed Toropuke stud.

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Wimmera Mail-Times, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling your stories. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.