Returning from both the Holbrook Sheep and Wool Fair and the NSW Dorset Championships held in Cowra with a swag of ribbons the Agricultural Technology students at The Riverina Agricultural College, Wagga Wagga are enthusiastic about taking a show team to compete in Sydney during the Royal Easter Show next year.
Head of Agriculture, Trevor Dawson said the continued progress of their small stud will only be accomplished if they are prepared to benchmark their sheep against the best in NSW.
Mr Dawson said TRAC students have been attending the Holbrook Sheep and Wool Fair, which is the largest school’s competition in NSW, for the past eight years and competing with honour against other very enthusiastic students.
“Although we are exhibiting Poll Dorsets, attending the Holbrook Show is an opportunity for our year nine and ten students to look over other sheep breeds,” he said.
“We took 19 sheep to Holbrook and came home with 20 … a healthy ram was born to the first place winner of the four tooth and over ewe class.
“We were up against all breeds, and some stiff competition but we did have success with a ewe which was judged champion ewe for her age class.”
That ewe went on to be judged grand champion ewe for the Poll Dorset breed, before being awarded the supreme ewe championship against all breeds.
She was beaten for supreme exhibit by a Corriedale ram.
Following their triumph at Holbrook, Mr Dawson said the team taken to the NSW Dorset Championships in Cowra was a further exercise in determining the strength of the small stud against some of the leading breed genetics in NSW.
“We were up against the best studs in NSW but we came home with more ribbons that we expected,” he said.
“Our best in Holbrook were only middle of the range at Cowra, but that was mostly because ours were younger and still growing out.”
“It was encouraging to see our entries go through to the final cut in each class.”
During the show, Mr Dawson said he had a lot of respected breeders prepared to pass on their knowledge and interest in helping the stud continue to improve.
“We got four first place ribbons and four second places but our best result was first in the Novice ewe under one and half year class for which we were awarded the Lyndsay Wright Memorial Trophy,” he said.
The Riverina-based school operating under their stud banner, Boorooma TRAC was awarded the Conron Stockcrete Trophy for champion school, while Olivia Jones, Broolkyn Cashen and Lauren Dorsett took the first three places respectively in the junior handler competition.
