POLL Merino rams dominated placings in the annual Elders Premier Hogget Ram competition during the 2018 Midstate Merino Field Day at Dubbo today.
All three ribbon winners were Poll Merino exhibits.
Fourteen entries from participating Midstate studs lined-up for Australian Wool Innovation chairman, Wally Merriman, Merryville stud, Boorowa, special guest speaker at the field day.
Mr Merriman selected as his champion a ram he said was not exactly of his type.
This was the entry from the Cannon family’s Westray Merino and Poll Merino stud, Peak Hill.
“But you’ve got to give credit where it’s due; he’s got that extra length and has beautiful rich white wool. A Wonderful wool type and he can be used a lot in the industry to give more length of body and he’s reasonably fault-free,” Mr Merriman said.
“It was nice to get these sheep on a level playing field to get a good look at them.”
Mr Merriman said the second placegetter was more his type.
“It is square, correct, with plenty of wool on him, but on this occasion I can see that extra body length of the winner.”
The second placed ram was from the Kopp family, Towalba stud, Peak Hill.
Third place went to Weealla Poll Merino stud of the McBurnie family, Balladoran.
Mr Merriman, when commenting on his choices said he put three poll sheep up, “and something I probably should have been careful of”, but it showed he was looking at the sheep and not the breed.
This year 14 studs from throughout the middle of the state participated with displays of sires and the tops of their 2018 show and sale teams which will be sold at either the Dubbo rams sales or on-property sales.