The Suffolk breed has a few committed breeders in Australia and Gordon Close and his daughter Charlotte are numbered among the most dedicated.
At the 2020 Actew AGL Royal Canberra Show the partnership were successful in showing both champion ram and ewe under the watchful eye of judge Tim Ferguson, Mallee Park Poll Dorsets, Hopetoun, Victoria and associate Callum Burrell, Canterbury, NZ.
The champion ram bred in the Closeup stud, Finley by Gordon and Charlotte Close had come through the milk-tooth shorn class and was considered by Mr Ferguson to have a great carcass.
"He is a very correct and smart sheep," the judge said.
"He was a clear winner and a very productive type for the breed."
The reserve champion ram was also exhibited by Charlotte Close and had been successful in the milk tooth class.
"He is a good type with length and depth and stands well," Mr Ferguson said.
Closeup studmaster Gordon Close said the rams are typical of the standard they are achieving in their flock.
"The evenness in our sheep was on display here at Canberra where I think we get good exposure for the breed," he said.
In the ewe classes, the champion ewe exhibited by the Closeup stud had graduated from the milk tooth class.
Mr Ferguson was impressed by the young ewe and said she paraded well.
"She is a young ewe with a great carcass shape," he said.
"She has a good neck extension and length of body and I think she will be a good breeder in the stud."
The reserve champion ewe was shown by first time entrant at the Royal Canberra Show, Jessica Sharman, Cheval Park, Taralga.
Ms Sharman's exhibit had been second in the milk tooth class.
Mr Ferguson said the reserve had good handle and was structurally correct.
"She has a great carcass shape and I think she will go on to be a very handy ewe," he said.
Fourteen year old Ms Sharman attends Trinity Catholic College, Goulburn where she has been involved with schools show team and last year she formed her own Suffolk stud.
"I have grown up on a farm near Taralga where we have Suffolk sheep and a free range egg business," she said.
"Being in the school's show team is amazing and it is great experience."
Ms Sharman's stud was formed with a stud ram and ewes scanned in lamb from the Lindean and Cotties Run studs at Kelso.
Her first lambs were dropped in 2019.
"I picked my show team and began handling the lambs," she said.
"My first show was at Crookwell where my team won all the classes for the Suffolk breed.
"But my expectations were exceeded in Canberra with multiple ribbons but winning reserve champion with my favourite ewe lamb was amazing," she said.
Ms Sharman said it was a great experience and she is now preparing for her local show at Taralga on 14 March and then off to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The Closeup stud exhibited the breed group which competed in the interbreed group section.