MAJOR ribbons might have slipped by Victor Gorring, Tarleea, Wellcamp, at the Brisbane Ekka but the long-time sheep producer finished with a broader smile than any winner.
Mr Gorring, 57, exhibited English Leicester rams and ewes in the open meat sheep section and won everything in the category before falling short when the supreme of show ribbons were issued.
"But I am alive and I am winning," Mr Gorring offered, explaining he's been battling serious cancer issues for the past six months.
"In February the doctor told me cancer had me in three spots in the abdomen and the best I could do was quit my job, cash in my superannuation and retire.
"I'm a nurse by training so I respect what doctors say but I just couldn't sit back and wait to die, so I am back in sheep.
"I was breeding about 19 years ago with Texels but got out of that and spent quite a few years doing nothing with sheep.
"Now I'm back with English Leicesters and they give me a reason to get out of bed every morning.
"When you think about it, they are keeping me alive - and the doctors I might add."
The Gorring entrants won high praise from judge Ian Cameron, Nundoone Park, Narromine, NSW.
"Obviously it was hard to assess Vic's sheep against others because his were the only English Leicesters in the show but my hat goes off to him," Mr Cameron said.
"His sheep were magnificent with good structure, clean and wide nostrils, they were all good walkers and the crimp and curl of their fleece was very hard to fault."
Mr Gorring said weather dictated when his flock were shorn compared with breeders in southern states.
"We take their wool just before summer and again just before winter," Mr Gorring said, "In the first instance it helps them deal with the heat and I've found doing it again just before winter presents no problems as these sheep love the cold and their wool grows quite quickly."
Peter and Pene Hood,Pittsworth, captured the supreme champion ram and supreme champion breeders group with Texel sheep while the supreme champion ewe was a Suffolk presented by the Cleveland State High School, which also won the supreme ram in the school section.
Breed winners were Dorset Horn ram and ewe (Lyndon Frey, Silverdale Dorset Stud, Inglewood), English Leicester ram and ewe (Vic Gorring, Wellcamp), Poll Dorset ram and ewe (Lyndon Frey), Dorper ewe (Livingstone College), South Downs ram and ewe (Rochedale State High School), Suffolk ram (Rochedale SHS) and ewe (Dakabin State High School), White Suffolk ram and ewe (Pride of the Downs Suffolk Stud) and Texel ram and ewe (Peter and Pene Hood).