It may have been the Queensland State Sheep Show, but a stud from south of the border has taken out top honours.
Chris and Cindy Clonan, Alfoxton Merino Stud, Armidale, are headed home with both supreme poll and supreme Merino titles, and a swag of other class wins.
It was their junior champion Poll ram that went on to be the supreme poll exhibit and eventually claim the supreme exhibit ribbon.
Mr Clonan said they were thrilled with the performance of their team over the two days and surprised to be awarded the supreme exhibit title.
"There's some good sheep right through the sheds and it wasn't determined right until the end who was going to win," he said.
"It's always interesting; things can take a turn and all of a sudden you're in there with a chance."
The fine wool ram was sired by Poll Boonoke 1526, a ram that has been used extensively at Alfoxton and sired a majority of the poll rams and ewes they had on show at Roma.
"His mother has also got quite a good pedigree, her number is 10197, and she was grand champion poll ewe at Bendigo Australian Sheep and Wool Show in 2012," Mr Clonan said.
"He's a half brother to two rams that have sold, one for $28,000 in 2015 and then Centurion, who was by another Poll Boonoke ram, sold in 2017 for $30,000."
Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders president Peter Meyer judged alongside Jono Merriman, Merrignee Merinos, Boorowa, and said the ram was "an outstanding creature".
"He's very pure in the muzzle and through the head, very wide between the ears and it carries through his body," he said.
"Great chest and stance at the rear end, a very good, square rump and great depth."
An Alfoxton ewe took out the supreme Merino exhibit, beating a ram from Nigel and Rosemary Brumpton's Mt Ascot Merino Stud, Mitchell.
The junior, medium wool ewe was embryo transfer-bred from a Nerstane ram that won champion junior ram at Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2017, and out of the grand champion Merino ewe from the 2015 Queensland State Sheep Show.
Like most Queensland sheep producers, Alfoxton has been battling tough seasonal conditions.
"We've only had four inches of rain so far for the year which is pretty dismal for our area, which is a 32 inch rainfall are," Mr Clonan said.
"We're extensively feeding basically everything, and we're in the long grind now of winter, just trying to keep our core breeding ewes in good condition.
"We'll do what we can until we get to a stage where it's starting to warm up, and hopefully there'll be some rain in early spring."
