Two months after the Ekka was cancelled, Darling Downs stud sheep have shone in the sheep competition, held at Pittsworth as part of efforts to make sure as many of the show's competitions could go ahead as possible.
The Royal Queensland Sheep Competition took place at the Pittsworth Showgrounds on Saturday, with more than $3000 in prize money on offer.
The champion of champions ram went to Sovereign 6/20, a two-tooth Poll Dorset ram exhibited by Chris Rubie from Sovereign Poll Dorset stud, Warwick.
Sired by Sovereign sire VV173/16, Mr Rubie said he would be offered for sale in February at the Inglewood Flock Ram Sale.
"We obviously think he's a very good ram," Mr Rubie said.
"He's got a great loin width and loin length, that's one of his key features... and also has a good depth of hindquarter.
"To qualify for the champion of champions, he had qualified twice actually at two shows, including the Toowoomba Royal.
"He was the fastest growth rate ram we had in that drop, he weighed 87kg at seven months and recently tipped the scales at 140kg."
Champion of champions judge and president of the Queensland Branch of the Australian Stud Breeders Association, Andrew Herron said Sovereign 6/20 was definitely the most balanced, in proportion ram on exhibit.
"The ram was overall perfectly correct, I particularly liked the shoulders on the Poll Dorset ram... the most outstanding part of the ram was probably his overall, general muscling and the loin length and volume," he said.
"To cover the basics is one thing, but then to back it up with superior muscling is probably what made the ram stand out."
The champion of champions ewe accolade was won by a two-tooth Suffolk ewe exhibited by Josh Milton and Anne Hall, Milton Park, Allora, with the reserve champion a Milton Park White Suffolk ewe.
Milton Park also went on to claim the champion of champions breeders group with their Suffolk group, with the Texel group exhibited by the Hood family, Plainview Texels, Pittsworth, named reserve champion.
Mr Milton said the champion ewe was sired by a Bowen Suffolk stud ram from a Milton Park ewe.
"She was actually supreme sheep of the Toowoomba Royal Show and she'd won several supremes at the local shows, so she had a good track record," he said.
Mr Herron said the ewe's capacity and muscling were what made her stand out.
"For me, a young ewe with good capacity is really important... all the sheep in the competition were well muscled and a lot of them were structurally very correct, she was most correct and by far the best muscled sheep," he said.
Prior to the champion of champions event, the RNA stud sheep competition was held, with 68 sheep from seven different breeds competing.
The grand champion ram in that class was a Suffolk ram exhibited by Josh Milton, Milton Park, while the grand champion ewe was exhibited by Chris Rubie, Sovereign Poll Dorset stud.
The breeders group was won by Plainview Texels.
Victoria Nugent
National sheep and wool writer for ACM's agricultural publications. Former livestock editor for Queensland Country Life. Send your story tips to vnugent@austcommunitymedia.com.au
National sheep and wool writer for ACM's agricultural publications. Former livestock editor for Queensland Country Life. Send your story tips to vnugent@austcommunitymedia.com.au
