DESPITE a tough year, the Mudgee Ram Selling Association’s 28th annual show was a big success last Sunday.
With new sponsorship for the show and a positive outlook, they had the best lot of rams penned in years according to association president, Max Rayner.
Ten studs – Merryville, Boorowa; Demondrille, Harden; Glanna, Gulgong; Bocoble, Mudgee; Langdene, Dunedoo; Grathlyn, Hargraves; Trynow, Wellington; Pomanara, Sallys Flat; Laraben Poll, Mudgee and Winona, Gulgong - competed in this year’s event.
Judge, Joe van Eyk, Shalimar Park stud, Wollun, felt the standard of the show was outstanding.
“They were good sheep throughout,” he said.
“A few of the classes were very hard to split, particularly the superfines.
“The eventual winner of that class was very well covered and true to superfine wool type. His size and bone structure is what got him over the line and he was awarded the supreme champion sale ram.
“The medium wool ram was correct in all ways. He had good wool and was well grown. He was a stand out.”
Mr van Eyk said the ultrafine champion was an excellent example of this wool growing type.
“He was well covered and had a very good wool type.
Champion finewool ram had very heavy cutting wool, according to Mr van Eyk.
“He was well structured and again, an excellent example of the breed,” Mr van Eyk said.
The ultrafine division champion was taken out by the Grathlyn stud’s M28410, a September 2015 drop ram with 17.4-micron wool, a standard deviation (SD) of 2.6-micron, co-efficient of variation (CV) of 14.9 per cent and a comfort factor (CF) of 99.9pc.
Superfines saw Demondrille M30683 take out the championship with an August 2015 drop ram growing 18.6-micron wool with an SD of 2.6 micron, CV of 13.2pc and a 99.9pc CF, a standout for the judge.
The finewool class was won by Demondrille M30681, an August 2015 drop with 18.5-micron wool with a SD of 2.4 micron SD, CV of 13pc and a CF of 100pc.
The medium wool title was claimed by Winona M28396, a September 2015 drop ram with a 19.5-micron wool, an SD of 3.1 micron, CV of 15.9pc and a CF of 99.7pc.
In memory of the late Cameron Cox, the supreme sale ram award has been named the Cameron Cox Memorial Trophy with the shield donated by the Honeysett family of Trynow stud.
The inaugural trophy was won by the superfine winner, Demondrille M30683.
The winning pen of three sale rams came from Grathlyn stud.
Mr van Eyk said he believed the three rams were all consistent in wool type and structure, “something that is wanted to breed similar rams”.