THE long-awaited return of Hamilton’s Sheepvention Rural Expo will take place tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday in a three-day economic boost to the town.

Sheepvention is the biggest farming event in the region, attracting over 25,000 visitors to the show each year, with the greater Hamilton community set to reap the benefits of an influx of attendees over the weekend.

The event will host over 400 traders, the renowned Hamilton and Western District Sheep Show, Ram Sale, Coprice Victorian Farm Dog Championships, Wool Handling, Inventions, Junior Judging, kid’s photography and scarecrow competitions, as well as agricultural speakers and kid’s activities.

Renowned journalist and television presenter, Pip Courtney, will officially open Sheepvention tomorrow at 12.15pm in the Sheep Pavilion.

Being the daughter of well-known Tasmanian print journalist and editor, Michael Courtney, Ms Courtney has won numerous awards for her agricultural journalism, and in 2018 was inducted into the Queensland Press Club’s Rural Journalism Hall of Fame.

Ms Courtney said she last attended Sheepvention in the early 90s and has fond memories of the event, remembering it as a “celebration of all things sheep”.

“I love sheep, if I wasn’t a journo, I would’ve been a wool classer,” she said.

“But the fact that Sheepvention hasn’t been on for a couple of years is going to give it that extra buzz.

“I suppose it’s a bit like Beef Week last year, people get so used to it being on, and then when it’s stopped, it really brings home how important the event is for the industry to network and see what’s new.”

The official opening will be followed by an industry-focussed question-and-answer session hosted by Nick Reid of Reid Stockfeeds.

“We’ll delve deep into the origins of (Pip’s) iconic hat, wonder at the greatest outback nickname and whimsically reminisce about the great times in Ag, and maybe not so great times, but let’s keep it positive,” Mr Reid said.

Ms Courtney said she was looking forward to the question-and-answer session giving attendees the chance to hear about her exposure to the top 25 per cent of cutting-edge farmers around Australia through her work on the ABC series, Landline.

“I’ve been exposed to the cleverest farmers in the industry and it’s just intoxicating,” she said.

She is also looking forward to checking out the Inventions Competition over the three days, expressing her interest in “anything to do with new technology”.

“Any ideas that might alleviate the shearing labour crisis … I don’t need to tell a wool or lamb producer that the mulesing issue isn’t going away, so any breeding breakthroughs, technology or pain relief breakthroughs relating to mulesing,” she said.

“Foreign customers tell farmers, and they might not like it, but they tell them what they find acceptable and that is going to hang around.

“Farmers might get angry about it, but they need to get over it real quick because the demands that city customers or foreign businesses put on farmers are only going to get tougher.

“It’s never going to be a reset back to the old days.”

The Ram Sale will again be a major component of this year’s expo and is scheduled for 10am on Tuesday, with keen buyers given the opportunity to view the rams in the Sheep Pavilion on Monday.

While the sale is generally renowned for its pen of five, this year the committee has introduced a pen of three format to cater for various studs, following challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though Sheepvention didn’t go ahead in 2021, the Ram Sale was held online, with an 89 per cent clearance rate of 44 rams offered, and an average sale price of $4294.

This year the committee welcomes Montarna SheepMaster Stud to the agricultural event, who will donate a ram, with funds raised going to the Riding for the Disabled charity.

The feature breed of the 2022 Hamilton and Western District Sheep Show is the Poll Dorset.

The show will also reflect the history and diversity of sheep breeding in Australia, with representations from heritage breeds such as the Lincoln and English Leicesters, prime lamb, dual purpose, and wool breeds.

The Coprice Victorian Farm Dog Championships will present an action-packed three days, showcasing some of the country’s finest sheepdogs in the Encourage, Novice, and Open competitions, with the Final taking place at 1pm on Tuesday, followed by the awards ceremony.

The Hamilton Pastoral & Agricultural Society encourages attendees to skip the queue and pre-purchase their expo tickets online at events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/sheepvention-rural-expo