Cold and rainy weather did not dampen the spirits of this year’s Toowoomba Royal Show in the Meat Sheep section.
50 Dorpers and White Dorpers and 66 other breeds of meat sheep made up the numbers at the Toowoomba Meat Sheep Show, along with strong numbers in the Prime Lambs.
Pierre Bouwer, Highveld International, Mendooran, NSW judged the Dorpers and White Dorpers, Pierre is responsible for the implementation of the breeding philosophy at Highveld Stud International.
British Breeds judge was Chris Johnstone, a former student of Scots PGC College and now working as a stock and station agent since leaving school in 2008. Chris currently works for Davidson, Cameron & Co in Guyra, NSW.
Chris said the overall the quality of stud sheep at Toowoomba was very good.
“I was very impressed by what breeders have done in the last five or so years since I last looked over the sheep at the show. The stud sheep have really come ahead in leaps and bounds, with breeders focusing on quality and also what commercial producers are looking for in their stock to meet today’s prime lamb markets.
“All breeds were very well represented with some outstanding examples present (Supreme Champions.) It was great to see such a large number of students at the show and being very involved with the stud section.”
Taking the top honours at this year’s Toowoomba Royal show was Andrea Weiss, Basecamp White Dorpers, Kogan.
They had a very successful show after winning Champion and Reserve Champion White Dorper Rams, Reserve Champion White Dorper Ewe, Lorna Milton Memorial All breeds Pair Ram and Ewe, Supreme Champion Breeders Group,Grand Champion Ram of the Show and Fred Bebbington Memorial Trophy and Sash for Supreme Champion Sheep of the Show.
Basecamp White Dorpers is a family operated business focused on supplying rams that will produce hardy, low maintenance, high meat yielding prime Dorper lambs, that are adaptable to all conditions and get to a market weight in the shortest amount of time.
Andrea Weiss said she was still a little shocked.
“I can’t believe out of 100 plus sheep, ours was crowned the best.”
Melanie Hurley, Melete Dorpers had a ripper a the show with Champion Dorper Ram, Dorper Breeders Group and Dorper Pair, Ram and Ewe.
Pride of the Downs returned to Toowoomba show after a few years off and went on to win Champion Suffolk ram, reserve Champion ram, Objective Measurement, Objective Measurement. Points allocated were breed type and standard, weight gain per day, fat to weight ratio and muscle depth.
Livingstone Christian College, Gold Coast, were showing for the first time at the Toowoomba Royal Show with their Dorpers and they were first in four tooth ewe class and second in two tooth ewe class, third in ewe lamb born before August 1, 2016, second in four tooth ram class and second in ram lamb born before August 1, 2016. The students enjoyed their trip to Toowoomba and said they had learnt a lot about showing,
Tenneal Prebble via Gatton will be off to Adelaide for the National final of the Meat Sheep 2018 after winning the Queensland Young Judges final at the Toowoomba Royal Show.
Scots PGC College Warwick won the Samantha McConnell-Green Memorial Shield school competition. Points were calculated on school placings. They also won Reserve Champion Sheep of the show with their Texal ewe.
Scots PGC College established their Texel stud in 2000. The Texel breed was chosen as a result of agriculture teacher Nigel Grant having seen some of the first Texels introduced into Australia while on a conference a few years earlier, when he formed the opinion that this breed had much to offer the Australian meat sheep industry. The stud was established with the purchase of three ewes-in-lamb, from Pittsworth Texel breeder Peter Hood. Since that time, the Scots stud has also incorporated genetics from the foundation flock of the late Ian McMaster, and also the Tattykeel stud from Oberon. Most recently, Scots conducted an AI program, using semen donated by the Tullamore Park and Cypress Park studs in Victoria.
Scots PGC have been exhibiting their Texels at the Royal Toowoomba Sow since 2005. Despite having won champion ribbons many times over the years, this was the first time the college had won a tri-colour ribbon for Supreme Champion. The winning ewe was a two-tooth, born at the College in September 2015 out of a Scots ewe. In addition to 11 school sheep, Scots also prepared and exhibited four Texel lambs on behalf of Peter Hood.
What made the win in Toowoomba this year even more significant was that the judge of the British breeds was former captain of the Scots Sheep Club, Chris Johnstone. Working as a stock and station agent since leaving school in 2008, Chris currently works for Davidson, Cameron & Co in Armidale, NSW.
Calvary Christian College farm was flooded while the students were attending the Toowoomba Royal Show. Their entire farm was inundated with flood waters from the Logan River. Thankfully most of their Suffolk flock was at Toowoomba Royal Show where they won Champion Suffolk Ewe among a large number of other ribbons.
Members of the college show team and staff managed to evacuate the remaining sheep, chickens, alpacas and miniature goats before the flood waters rose too much. All animals from their farm were now being housed on the properties of Angela Haupt and another Ag Science teacher. It will be weeks or even months before the animals can return home as fences will need to be replaced and pastures will need to be checked/cleaned.
Results:
Champion Poll Dorset Ram – Sovereign Poll Dorsets
Reserve Poll Dorset Ram – Silverdale Poll Dorset
Champion Poll Dorset Ewe – Sovereign Poll Dorsets
Reserve Poll Dorset Ewe – Sovereign Poll Dorsets
Champion Suffolk ewe, Calvary Christian College and
Reserve Suffolk ewe – Milton Park Suffolk
Champion Suffolk Ram – Milton Park Stud
Reserve Suffolk Ram – Calvary Christian College
Champion White Suffolk Ram – Pride of the Downs
Reserve White Suffolk Ram – Milton Park
Champion White Suffolk Ewe – Milton Park
Reserve White Suffolk Ewe – Pride of the Downs
Champion Southdown Ram – Lyndon Frey Silverdale
Champion Southdown Ewe – Lyndon Frey Silverdale
Champion Dorset Horn Ewe – Lyndon Frey, Silverdale Dorset Horn
Champion Dorset Horn Ram, – Lyndon Frey, Silverdale Dorset Horn
Champion Texel Ewe – Scots PGC College
Reserve Texal Ewe – Plainview Texals
Champion Texal Ram – Plainview Texals
Reserve Texal Ram – Scots PGC College
Champion White Dorper Ram – Basecamp White Dorpers
Reserve Champion White Dorper Ram – Basecamp White Dorpers
Champion White Dorper Ewe – Davemm Hill White Dorpers
Reserve Champion White Dorper Ewe – Basecamp White Dorpers
Champion Dorper Ram – Melete Dorpers
Reserve Dorper Ram – Yumalow Dorpers
Champion Dorper Ewe – Boonoon Stud Southern Brothers
Reserve Dorper Ewe – Boonoon Stud Southern Brothers
Champion Ewe of the Show – Scots PGC College with their Texal ewe
Champion Ram of the Show – Base Camp Dorpers