It was a big day out for the Curtis family of Bellevue Dorpers, who will be taking a swag of ribbons home to Millmerran after cleaning up at the 2022 Ekka prime lamb competition.
Bellevue claimed the top prize for champion overall pen of three lambs and champion grass fed pen of three lambs, as well as first, second and third place in the pen of three light trade lambs class.
David and Robbie Curtis were extremely happy with the way their lambs placed in the competition, having won again off the back of their stellar performance at the last Ekka in 2019.
"It demonstrates what we're doing with the stud," Mr Curtis said.
"It's nice to come and see the lambs and what we're producing from our rams. This is the end game and shows the direction that we're going in."
Mr Curtis said their results were a credit to the Dorper breed, saying that they were well sought after by butchers at the moment.
"The Dorper breed is well represented here across the board, so it's fantastic for the breed," he said.
"The breed has done its job in Australia, its certainly cemented its place in the meat industry, producing a carcase that butchers really like.
"Just the carcase shape and balance and the doability of the animals.
"They've been through drought and even floods this year, they just front up and I think that's amazing."
Judge Pat McMahon said he was very impressed with the showing of all the prime lambs across the competition, in particular the uniformity of the Bellevue carcases.
"I put those lambs up as champion lambs overall because of their evenness and their trade suitability," he said.
"The confirmation, trade suitability and ideal fat coverage in the champion lambs got them there today. They're ideal lambs for what we want to see in butcher shops.
"It's a fantastic showing of lambs and a lot of evenness across the different weight classes, just little things separated first and second in most cases, everyone there did a terrific job.
"The Carey Brothers have also done a fantastic job in presenting the lambs."
Results
Judge: Pat McMahon
Champion pen of three light trade lambs: Bellvue Grazing Company
Second place pen of three light trade lambs: Bellvue Grazing Company
Third place pen of three light trade lambs: Bellvue Grazing Company
Champion pen of three heavy trade lambs: Shelley Family Trust
Second place pen of three heavy trade lambs: Brooklyn Dorpers (trading under Stillwater Pastoral Co)
Third place pen of three heavy trade lambs: Peter Hood
Champion pen of three restaurant trade lambs: Shelley Family Trust
Second place pen of three restaurant trade lambs: R & L Moore Pastoral
Third place pen of three restaurant trade lambs: R & L Moore Pastoral
Champion grass fed pen of three: Bellvue Grazing Company
Overall champion pen of three: Bellvue Grazing Company
Overall reserve champion pen of three: Shelley Family Trust
Champion single lamb: Brooklyn Dorpers (trading under Stillwater Pastoral Co)
Also read: Ekka 2022: Faces from the Ekka gala | Photos
