Notus Downs shows best single ewe, champion trade sheep pen at Barcaldine Show

Ms Dean has previously received accolades for her crossbred lambs at the Isisford Show in 2014, with Coolalee-Merino cross sheep, but when her ram supplier sold out she moved to Dorset rams instead.

She has an 8:1 wool:meat sheep operation at her Notus Downs property south of Longreach but likes to have the opportunity to breed a restocker lamb with her Merino ewes with less fertility.

The winning pen was valued at $179.18 a head and a dressed weight of 28.86kg.

It was one of seven pens entered, with the others coming from Mildura and Saltern Creek at Barcaldine, and Patricia Downs at Isisford.

Ms Dean, who describes herself as a 'diehard Merino producer', has been breeding crossbreds as a side channel that covers all markets since 2003, and has been sending her meat sheep to feedlots at Goondiwindi and Texas, and north to Richmond.

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"I'm stoked with my results - I'm so busy I nearly wasn't going to come," she said.

Her biggest surprise was winning the champion single ewe ribbon in the 17-pen flock Merino contest.

"Not only is it my first champion single ewe but short wool sheep never win championships, because the wool's so important," she said. "But when I was drafting the pen out, I thought to myself, if only I had a thousand like her."

Blackall woolgrowers, the Banks family at Springleigh collected the majority of the other flock awards, for champion short wool and long wool pens, the grand champion pen, and the flock ewe show aggregate.

Clover Hills showed the best local pen of ewes.

Trade sheep judge Paul Grams said two good seasons in a row was definitely showing in the quality of the sheep in the pens.

"Lambs don't usually reach these weights until they cut two teeth," he said. "From 10 years ago to now, I'm judging a completely different sheep."

TRADE SHEEP RESULTS

Barcaldine Show wool judge Bruce McLeish described himself as like 'a kid in a lolly shop' on Saturday, such was the quality of the 150 fleeces contesting the prizes.

"This is as good as it gets, both for quality and weight," he said.

"I started with Elders in 1988 and the last three shows - Longreach, Isisford and Barcaldine - and my colleague Duncan Ferguson, who judged at Tambo and Blackall would agree - have had the best wool we've seen in all those years.

"It's a massive compliment to the people who've stuck to the program and invested in genetics.

"We're seeing lots of good competition in classes, showing the impact of bloodlines and management."

Tambo growers, the Turnbull family at Narada had the grand champion fleece of the show.

The champion strong wool fleece weighed 11.1kg and had a yield of 68 per cent.

A fleece from Oma, owned by Willy and Marcelle Chandler at Isisford, weighing in at 8.8kg, was the reserve champion fleece of the show and the champion medium wool fleece.

In the fine wool lineup, the Macdonald family at Lilyveil collected the ribbon with an 8.2kg fleece.

Barcaldine's Doneley family had the champion hogget fleece, while Scott and Sharon Counsell, Lyndon, Barcaldine showed the champion lamb's fleece.

The Counsells also showed the prize-winning commercial fleece, weighing 7.4kg and valued at $68.38.

Oma won the pairs award and the aggregate trophy.

Molly Whitaker, Ross Shearing, won the classer's aggregate.

Mr McLeish said he would be taking the pick of the fleeces to the RNA this year and said anyone who wanted to contribute a fleece should get in touch.

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