A GREAT line up of Merino rams and ewes did not disappoint in terms of quality and quantity on the first day of Sheepvention Rural Expo 2024.

Merino sheep show convenor, Louise Patterson from Victoria Valley said the standard of sheep in the various classes competing was excellent.

“It’s been a fantastic start to the Merino judging,” she said.

“It’s been a great roll up.

“The sheep are in really good condition, well presented and the Merino show is running beautifully.”

With the sun shining through at intervals, Merino sheep show co convenor Will Crawford from Victoria Valley was also pleased with the show.

“It’s been a great show,” he said.

“It’s an excellent crowd and it’s been excellent weather which helps bring the people out.

“The quality of sheep here is pretty good once again - it’s made for a very good show.”

The supreme champion Merino ewe of the show went to the Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud from Ouyen, with their poll strong wool sheep.

Sheep show judge, Wayne McClure from Harrow said the winning sheep had a bit more scale over its competitors. 

“An excellent upstanding great sheep,” he said.

The supreme champion Merino ram went to Mount Yulong from Telangatuk.

“It was a pretty tough decision,” Mr McClure said.

“We’ve elected to go with the March shorn ram from Mount Yulong.

“Magnificent, stands well, as pure as can be and just a great sheep – I imagine will see him around the traps next year.”

The Stuart Cumming Perpetual Special Class Open was looking for the best dual-purpose meat and wool sheep judged together by Simon Thomas from Cavendish and Harry Miller.

“There’s three very impressive animals here,” Mr Thomas said.

“There is a little bit of difference in the conditioning of the animals - that does make judging a little more difficult.

“The ram we placed in first as a carcass point of view is a beautiful standing ram, has good length, good loin, the shoulder setting is very strong.

“There wasn’t a lot of difference between the first and second ram.

“It all came down to the wool aspect as well.”

First place was awarded to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud, second to Kerrilyn and in third place, Mt Yulong.

The Mibus family from Glenara Merinos at Dunkeld had a good day of results, taking out the ultrafine Merino ram class followed by Mt Challicum at Ballyrogan taking out reserve champion.

In these classes, Mr Crawford, said judges were looking at rams that were “true to type for what they’re supposed to be – an ultrafine ram – judging them on their consistency, their structure, making sure there is as little variation as possible through the wool type”.

“You want a nice square structured ram that stands up well, these being horned rams – you want a nice clean open head.”

In the March shorn strong wool class, Mr McClure awarded first place to Mount Yulong and Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud from Ouyen in second place.

He said he selected first place because of its free growing wool with a sharp brilliant lustre.

“The ram stood square with a deep body,” he said.

In the ultrafine ewe class under two years old, Glenara Merinos again took out first place.

For the August shorn strong wool ram, Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud took first place with Nareeb Nareeb from Chatsworth taking out second.

In the poll March shorn ultrafine ewe class of any age, judge Harry Miller from Brimpaen, who was judging for the first time, again awarded first place to Glenara Merinos.

He said he was looking at the structure of the sheep.

“How they stand, make sure they stand on all fours, wool quality type, nourished wool, depth of jaw, stands up structurally correct.”

Glenara Merinos also took out first in the ultrafine ewe and the reserve champion with handler, Jacob Mibus, pleased with the win from among their eight sheep, four rams and four ewes competing on the day.

“The judge was pleased with the size and how much wool she’s got on her,” he said.

“She stands up pretty well and she’s good for her age.”

In the strong poll wool ram class first place was awarded to Mount Yulong with the reserve going to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud.

The March shorn two tooth Merino ewe champion went to Mount Yulong and second place was awarded to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud and in third was Kerrilyn from Dunluce.

In the August shorn strong wool poll ram class, first and second place went to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud.

Mr McClure said the winning sheep was “structurally perfect, faultless”.

The champion strong wool poll ewe was awarded to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Studwith second going to Mount Yulong.

For the fine wool poll Merino ram – first place was awarded to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud with second going to Nareeb Nareeb followed by Coryule Merinos, from Willowvale.

For the March shorn superfine fine pool Merino ram again first place went to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud.

Kevin Crook from Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud said he was pleased with the result, with his ram having great scale for a fine wool.

“Very pure, very white wool,” he said.

The superfine/fine poll Merino ram went to Tamaleuca Merino & Poll Merino Stud in first and second place.

Mr Miller said he looked at “how well they polled, their belly wool underneath – how soft muzzled they are and their depth of jaw”.

The medium strong wool class over 19 months went to Kerrilyn from Dunluce in North Central Victoria.

The fine wool poll ewes went to Coryule Merinos in first place.

For the champion medium Merino ram, Mr McClure awarded first place to Kerrilyn saying extremely long with free wool.

“He was a pretty complete medium wool sheep with a toss up between first and second place,” he said.

The reserve went to Koole Vale from Costerfield.

“He was a very good sheep in his own right.”

For the March shorn fine wool horn ram – Kerrilyn took first place.

In the fine Merino ram class, first place went to Koole Vale and the reserve going to Kerrilyn.

“Great stylish white crimpy wool, structurally correct, beautiful muzzle, depth of jaw.”

The reserve went to Kerrilyn.

“He was a milk tooth, I reckon he will shear off alright next year, structurally correct,” Mr McClure said.