HAMILTON Riding for the Disabled (RDA) is set to benefit from the generous donation of a SheepMaster ram – a new type of shedding sheep, an increasingly popular trend amongst some breeders – to be auctioned off at next month’s prestigious Sheepvention ram sale. 

The donors have only been in the Western District for a matter of months, but stud breeders Gary and Judy Doyle are quickly making their mark. 

Since selling their stations near Wentworth in NSW and shifting south, the former shearer and his equestrian wife have bought a couple of properties, including their new Yulecart home base. 

And it suits the couple down to the ground, equipped with a first-class indoor horse arena and new sheep yards under construction for Gary’s sheep stud, Montarna SheepMasters. 

The couple have decided to donate the ram, with proceeds going to the Hamilton RDA organisation, as a way of introducing themselves and their sheep to the area, as well as supporting a cause long close to their hearts.  

Gary and Judy Doyle moved to Yulecart in April, bringing with them around 200 SheepMaster ewes, along with stud rams. 

One of the rams is Apollo, a $85,000 ram purchased in a syndicate with other SheepMaster studs from breed founder Neil Garnett’s Garnett SheepMaster stud in Western Australia.  

Gary said Neil – who formerly owned the famed Collinsville Merino stud – developed the breed over 30 years from Danmara, Dorper, Van Rooy, White Suffolk, Finn, East Friesian, Kojak and Ultra White blood lines.

The breed was designed to be wool-free, highly fertile, easy care, functional sheep with food, not fibre, the focus, he said.

The breed uses a visual scoring system to underpin selections, along with genomic data and breeding values. 

Gary and Judy previously ran Dorpers in the far west of NSW, across 32,000 acres, but saw feet issues and declining fertility impact their profitability. 

When successive droughts hit, the Doyle’s flock was reduced and Gary said the timing was right to look for a new direction. 

After watching a Landline TV program about the Garnett sheep, Gary purchased six SheepMaster rams in 2018. 

He said demand for the breed was strong and growing, and he hoped to build up to 450 stud ewes.

Last year Montarna sold 50 rams and will aim to have around 80 available this year. 

The stud will offer rams on September 12 on-property and via AuctionsPlus.

Some rams will also be on display at Sheepvention next month, with the especially selected ram to be sold via Elders in the ram sale. 

Gary said the SheepMasters were quickly adjusting to life in the Hamilton district and he had high hopes for the breed.

With shearing costs rising, Gary said many sheep producers were keen to see the SheepMaster breed “provide an alternative”. 

“They are tough very fertile and can deal with any environment,” he said,

Equestrian Judy, who has more than 30 years’ experience with the RDA organisation and who is a current RDA Australia board member, has quickly become a key new member of the Hamilton RDA volunteer team.

Hamilton RDA is a not-for-profit organisation run purely by local volunteers and has recently resumed riding days for local riders following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. 

Volunteers, horses and riders come together each Wednesday of the second and fourth school term to help enrich the lives of people in the community with special needs who wouldn’t normally be able to participate in horse riding without RDA volunteers and horses.

Hamilton RDA president, Kate Dowler, said the group was thrilled to have Judy and Gary join the local community and thanked them for their generous donation of the SheepMaster sire. 

“We are very pleased to have Judy now living in the Hamilton district, and she is already contributing a great deal, thanks to her expertise as an ‘Equestrian Australia’ and RDA Level 2 qualified riding instructor,” she said. 

“Hamilton RDA thanks Gary and Judy for their magnificent gesture towards their new community, and as an organisation, we will ensure the funds raised go towards providing the best possible experiences for our RDA riders.”

Hamilton RDA coach, Gesine Milne, said it had been rewarding for the riders participating in the return to riding this year.

“The RDA program’s impact on the lives of our participants is huge and includes physical as well as psychological benefits,” she said.

“Riding and being around horses resulted in improved balance and coordination, faster reflexes, better motor planning and stretching of tight muscles.

“Communication and interpersonal skills are developed, and self-confidence and self-awareness grows.

“A lot of work goes on behind the scenes and to come back after a lengthy break, among many other administrative and practical tasks, our Centre had to be re-accredited.

“Equestrian activities carry a high risk and to mitigate those, we must show that we follow the strict regulations and guidelines stipulated by the RDA Australia via a regular accreditation process.

“We take the safety of everyone in our Centre seriously and have achieved a status of a ‘Centre of Excellence’, the highest possible denomination.”

Gesine said it was wonderful to see the energy with which volunteers set out to prepare for the first term of riding after COVID-19 and the smiles and gains of our riders during their weekly sessions were the reward of this hard work.

RDA will also benefit from the proceeds of a raffle, with tickets to be sold from site 1 – Greg Richards and Kerry Martin’s Dipping Dynamics’ stall. The pair have also kindly donated one dressed lamb, with other items to be featured in the raffle. 

“We are so thankful for the support of our local community which allows RDA volunteers and the all-important RDA horses to provide our riders with opportunities,” Ms Dowler said. 

For further details about the ram, contact Gary Doyle at Montarna SheepMaster Stud.