The fruits of an artificial insemination program came through with the goods for St Lawrences Primary School, Coonabarabran, which took out the champion Dorset Horn ram and ewe.
Science and agriculture teacher Sue McGoldrick said the studs champion ram was sired by a ram from now dispersed stud, Broughton, which was owned by the Buzzacott family, South Australia.
The ram was bred about 15 years ago and the semen was given to the school when Broughton was dispersed.
The champion ewe, meanwhile, was sired by a Tattykeel Dorset Horn ram, 109, also bred about 15 years ago.
We just kept the semen and thought it was about time to use it to extend the bloodlines, said Mrs McGoldrick, who had also investigated the possibility of importing genetics from the UK, but only to be frustrated by the red tape at the Australian end.
She said lamb producers around Dubbo and Cudal still sought Dorset Horn rams for their quick maturity patterns to join to first-cross ewes. The lambs were able to hit 50 kilograms as suckers, instead of having to be held on and grown out for longer, and had good carcase shape.
The school had 14 Year 6 students attend this years Sydney Royal Show and would also take teams to the NSW Dorset Championships at Cowra in June, and to the Australasian Dorset Championships in Bendigo, Victoria, in September.
The judge, James Corcoran, Gooramma Poll Dorsets, Boorowa, said the ram was an earlier maturing type, structurally sound and had good fleshing down its hind leg.
The ewe was a standout. She was a very feminine ewe with good balance and displayed all the characteristics of a traditional Dorset Horn ewe, Mr Corcoran said.
Of the breed overall, he said, given the limited genetics in Australia among the breed, it was a credit to the breeders to maintain such a high standard.
The sheep on the team are prepared by the students, with guidance from Mrs McGoldrick.
