THE last year has been full of accomplishments for Chris Turnbull, Lower Lansdowne, Tambo.
After taking the reins of part of his family’s flock on their 28,327 hectare property eight months ago the good fortunes continued on Friday night when he was announced the inaugural winner of the Landmark Queensland Young Merino Award at the State Sheep Show dinner.
The 24-year-old will now participate in an intensive five day educational experience attending the 2018 Sydney Royal Sheep Show, spending a day with a wool exporter at Yennora and looking ‘behind the scenes’ of a wool sale.
Mr Turnbull fought off applications from finalists Candice Roberts, Victoria Downs, Morven and Jesse Moody, Abbadoah and Yarmouth, Cunnamulla to take the honour which he hopes will help him in his dreams to help bring Merimos back to Queensland.
He said he was looking forward to the learning experience the award would provide and to learn more of the finer points of the wool and sheep industry.
“Cattle are good but Merinos are better suited to the country around Tambo,” he said.
“It (the sheep industry) has flow on affects for the local community.”
His faith in the industry comes from the proven success his family has seen in exclusion barrier fences and the benefits it will have on the industry.
At its peak the family’s wild dog problem saw them kill 130 dogs in 2012.
Their lambing percentages were down to 30 per cent and they lost thousands of sheep each year but after the installation of an exclusion barrier fence in 2014 lambing rates have increased to 85 per cent.