Poll Dorset breeders will be encouraged to “unite, breed and succeed when they make their way to Wagga Wagga, NSW, next February.

The National Poll Dorset Conference 2026 will draw breeders together where they will hear from a range of guest speakers and make the most of the gathering of minds.

Australian Poll Dorset Association Albury-Wagga Wagga region president Joe Scott said preparation for the event was forging ahead.

"The conference will be a great opportunity for breeders and like minded people working to achieve similar goals in the industry to get together and listen to some leading speakers specialising in their fields,” Mr Scott said.

"As well as the learning opportunities, the dinner is not to be missed, featuring Poll Dorset lamb breeder and AFL great Tom Hawkins of Nutrien.

"But the most important part of it is getting everyone back together after a six-year gap since our last conference, to celebrate the success and importance of the Poll Dorset brand in the industry. "

The national conference’s theme of Unite, Breed, Succeed, set the tone for the two-day event which features highly regarded industry speakers.

These include:

NextGen Agri principal Mark Ferguson

Sheep Genetics operations manager Peta Bradley

Sprout Ag, with a representative to speak on finance and succession planning

Neogen, with a representative to speak on DNA and genomics

Wright Social and Branded Ag, with representatives to speak on marketing using social media and photography.

The conference kicks off on Sunday, February 22, with a meet and greet session at the Wagga Wagga, RSL, where delegates can take part in barefoot bowls.

The formal proceedings kick off at 8am on Monday, February 23, with presentations, displays and trade stalls running throughout the day.

The formal dinner on Monday night will be a great way to cap off the day, with a three-course meal, along with the dinner speaker, Tom Hawkins, a former Geelong Cats AFL great who now works with Nutrien.

The following day will be another packed program of presentations, displays and trade stalls, culminating in an after party at 3pm at the Thirsty Cow Brewery.

The national conference will be held at The Range Function Centre, East Wagga Wagga NSW, and Poll Dorset enthusiasts are encouraged to book their tickets through https://events.humanitix.com/n... as soon as possible.