Sheep numbers were slightly reduced but cattle numbers maintained when Tambo held its annual stock show on Saturday, starting the western circuit in fine style.
The Sanderson family at Westbourne were big winners in the flock ewe competition, receiving prizes for the best long wool pen, best local pen and eventually the grand champion pen, as well as the champion single ewe, from a second pen of sheep.
The Chandler family supported the show as usual with sheep from Isisford, and ended up with the reserve grand champion pen.
Local Tambo property Narada, owned by the Turnbull family, showed the champion and reserve champion pens of lambs.
Bruce Lines, Rodwells, came up from Roma to judge the sheep and said Westbourne’s sheep showed all the right attributes.
“They’re not very plain sheep but they’re productive sheep,” he said.
Only 14 pens were shown this year, compared to 23 last year, which organisers put down to drought affecting those who normally exhibit sheep.
Prizes in the cattle section were split between Sid and Trish Rodman at Malta Station, Len and Helen Sargood, Drensmaine and Matt and Amanda Bauer, Greendale.
Malta showed the champion pen of fat cattle with their Santa Gertrudis steers, weighing an average 680kg, while Drensmaine’s Santa Gertrudis lighter steers won the feed-on section.
The Bauers’ 12-13 month Charbrays won the replacement heifer ribbon and the Rodney Sargood Memorial Trophy for champion pen.
Matt said he was always keen to support the show and was especially happy to win the memorial trophy in honour of such a good operator.
He said that while it had been “as bad as it had ever been” before Christmas, his cattle had had some grass to eat since then.
According to steward Andrew Nugent, there were 152 head shown, which was average to slightly higher than last year, thanks to relief rain.
