Poll Dorsets shortwool supreme

Courtesy of Bryce Eishold and Philippe Perez, Stock & Land

Valley Vista Poll Dorset stud, Coolac, NSW, won the supreme shortwool exhibit with a Poll Dorset ewe that attracted the judges' eyes from the outset of the competition.

Valley Vista Poll Dorset stud principal Joe Scott said he was overwhelmed with the prestigious result.

"We had a look yesterday through all the breed champions and as it was commented, it was a strong line up of ewes and rams from each breed," Mr Scott said.

"Even when she won on Saturday and beat the Dorset ram, we were surprised."

Mr Scott said his father, who was unable to attend the show, had bred Poll Dorsets for more than 50 years.

"We're sheep-pregnancy scanners also so dad is over in New Zealand, my little brother has just flown back and my mum was at the airport picking him up," he said.

"So was just myself, my sister and my wife who made the trip down."

Poll Dorsets, according to Mr Scott, are renowned as leaders in the industry for early-growth and vigour.

"We have a commercial operation separate to the stud where we run Dorsets over 1600 Merino ewes, along with 1000 stud ewes," Mr Scott said.

“The benefits for the Dorsets are to go over that Merino ewe or that crossbred ewe and produce that early-finishing, fast-maturing lamb.

"While prices aren't hot for lambs, it's good to have that early, quick lamb out of the way and that's what the Poll Dorset does."

Earlier in the show, the ewe won champion Poll Dorset ewe and supreme exhibit of the breed.

Shortwool judge Graham Wilson, Kismet White Suffolk and Poll Dorset stud, Howlong, NSW, said the ewe was hard to fault.

"The Poll Dorset ewe caught my eye straight away with her nice-shaped shoulders and she stood up easily on her feet," Mr Wilson said.

Proven genetics prove the winner for a NSW Poll Dorset stud ewe

Courtesy of Andrew Miller, Stock & Land

A ewe, sired with genetic material sourced more than 15 years ago, has taken out the top Poll Dorset broad ribbon at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.

Valley Vista Poll Dorsets, Coolac, NSW, took out the supreme champion Poll Dorset title.

Valley Vista co-principal Joe Scott said the stud acquired 550 ewes and the the 2004-drop Kurralea Phoenix 809 in 2007, as part of a package deal.

"We got about seven or eight stud rams with the ewes, with Phoenix coming from Gererdan Poll Dorset stud, Gooloogong, NSW as well," he said.

"We collected semen from him, and every couple of years we have used that semen - in April 2002 it produced this ewe," he said.

"He has always produced a very good line of females - every time we have crossed him, we have always got success."

The ewe was a result of a cross between Phoenix and Valley View Fife, a 2014 drop ram.

"We will look to use that Phoenix semen again this year," he said.

"A lot of people think the young stuff is always the best stuff, but every now and then you can go back and use something like this and it works.

Judge Chris Badcock, Fairbank, Hagley, Tasmania, said it was a very hard decision to split the ram and ewe for the supreme ribbon.

"I am sure the crowd maybe would have gone a different way, but I don't know how you split two exceptional animals," Mr Badock said.

"In the end I loved the shape of that ewe, for a female she has just got that perfect wedge shape.

"She just ticked the boxes."

Mr Badcock said he was very happy with the ewes he had chosen.

"It highlights the type I have been trying to find - I prefer to see them being a bit more moderate.

Mr Badcock said could not find a lot wrong with the champion ewe.

"She presents very well, she walks very well, she has a beautiful shoulder and wedge shape, which is exactly what you want," he said.

Mr Scott said he was surprised Mr Badcock picked the ewe.

"Her structural correctness stood out, she has just got all the feminine traits a Dorset ewe needs," he said.

"She has the smooth shoulders, the feminine head and style and stands up on her feet very well.

"She just stands out, and I think that's what the judge noticed."

He said the ewe was likely to be used in an embryo transfer program, later this year.

The senior and grand champion ram ribbons were won by Springwaters Poll Dorset stud, Boorowa, NSW; the reserve ribbon was won by Yentrac.

The Springwaters ram weighed 141 kilograms, had a 51 millimetre muscle depth, 113mm muscle width and 10mm of fat.

His eye muscle area was measured at 44.38 square centimetres.

Mr Badcock said it was also hard to chose between the junior and senior champion rams.

"They are both brilliant examples of the breed, you could probably argue they are slightly different types - you have a ram, which is very heavily muscled, and another ram, which is slightly longer,

"I just like the overall power and presence of that senior ram, I loved his muscling and that's probably why I have just gone that way."

Its 120kg ram had a 47mm muscle depth, a 103mm muscle width, 7.5mm fat measurement and 37.28 square centimetre eye muscle area.

Poll Dorsets feature at ASWS

A dozen studs from three states headed to Bendigo last weekend for the Australian Sheep & Wool Show Poll Dorset feature judging.

And accolades were spread across the breeders, and judge Chris Badcock of Fairbank

Prime Lamb Sires at Hagley, Tasmania, was impressed with the turn out, especially the structure of the sheep.

“I didn’t find any real faults in that regard, feet and legs were all really good, and shoulder settings, they were all of pretty high standard,” he said.

“Our environment and market are looking for well muscled, good shouldered, correct rams, so ultimately that is what I was looking for.”

Mr Badcock sashed the grand champion ewe as supreme exhibit of the Poll Dorset breed, and that ewe, exhibited by Valley Vista, Coolac, NSW, went on to be the supreme interbreed short wool exhibit of the show - which he said reinforced his decision making.

The most successful exhibitor sash was awarded to Yentrac stud, Tatura, after every one of their sheep placed in the top five during judging, with most coming a lot higher up the line.

Most notably, the McCartney family from Yentrac exhibited the reserve senior champion ram, with Y220002, and placed second in the prestigious mixed pair class.

Yentrac 220002 weighed in at 134kg, and had a muscle depth of 55mm, muscle width of 114mm and 10mm of fat, making its eye muscle area 47.86.

“It was the best scanning ram in the Poll Dorsets, and the ram will be up for sale at the Australian Dorset Championships in September,” Mr McCartney said.

The Frosts from Hillden stud at Crookwell, NSW, travelled the furthest of all Poll Dorset exhibitors, and made it worthwhile taking a swag of ribbons home with them.

This included junior champion ram with H220450, taken from the June-drop clean and evenly shorn class, and reserve champion ewe with their ewe in the wool H220023.

Hillden also won the group of 1 ram and 2 ewes class, the shorn pair of ewes class and the woolly ram class.

The junior ram, which was also the ram in the group, was by Tattykeel 200274, a $32,0000 sire, and it too will be offered for sale at the ADC back in Bendigo on September 10.

The reserve junior champion ram, Valley Vista 220399, exhibited by the Scott family, will be another of the show's broad ribbon winners which will be offered at the ADC later in the year.

Valley Vista also exhibited the winning ram lamb and ewe lamb, with the ewe - VV230154 - sashed champion Poll Dorset lamb of the show.

Glenore stud from Carisbrook placed first in the shorn ewe class and second in the August-drop ewe class, as well as placing in the pair of rams.

Charlotte Cain of Glenore also had her first judging position at this year’s Australian Sheep & Wool Show, in the Dorset Horn section, a great opportunity and achievement for the 18-year-old, who also recently attended the SA Sheep Expo in Adelaide and won a chance to steward at the Royal Adelaide Show later this year.

Estjam stud, Woolsthorpe, brought a team to Bendigo and took home place ribbons in the ewe lamb class and both the pair of rams class and pair of June-drop rams class, as well as placing third in the group of three rams class, and the renowned Ian Bucknall Trophy class.

Liz Mann of Glenelm stud at Tatura East was exhibiting at just her second Australian Sheep & Wool Show, and took a clean sweep of the novice classes.

Also bringing an impressive team to Bendigo was Mallee Park, Hopetoun, placing in shorn April-drop and shorn June-drop ram classes, as well as the pair of shorn rams and bare shorn ewe under 1.5 years.

Will Milroy, Rangeview stud, Pipers River, Tasmania made the trip across the Bight, winning the June-drop pair of rams class and placing in the shorn ram class.

Mr Milroy will return to Bendigo for the Australasian Dorset Championships in September, but will be on the other side, as the judge of the event.