The Merino awards provided a turn-up for the books this Sunday when an August-shorn ram at Sydney Royal Show - also the only strong wool ram in the shed - took the supreme Merino sash.
There was only three strong-wools entered in the show, the other two being ewes, all from the relatively new Hollow Mount stud from Bigga, established just three years ago.
A comment was made by one Merino breeder that it was important the genetics of this type were not lost to the industry.
In the past couple of decades there has certainly been a notable decline in the prescence of strong wool types.
The point was made that "if this wool disappears we're going to have nothing to fall back on to put a bit of guts and richness back in" may be particularly pertinent if the recent dusty years of 2018-19 are anything to go by. And as the industry demands big, strong, fertile ewes that can raise a good first-cross lamb.
Also of note was the consensus among the Merino stewards that this was the first time an August-shorn sheep (ram or ewe) had taken supreme in the 199 years of the event.
An interesting conundrum to emerge from this was there was no overall grand champion March-shorn ram.
This is because one of the March-shorn rams have traditionally always risen to supreme (a tradition established across the previous 198 years).
So technically, none of this year's March-shorn grand champions went head-to-head to see which of them was the best March-shorn ram of the show.
To avoid this same circumstance in the August-shorn sheep, there is an August-shorn champion class, with a grand August-shorn ram and a grand August-shorn ewe awarded.
These exhibits have usually been beaten by their March-shorn contemporaries for grand champion ram or ewe in their individual wool types.
Like with the rams, the same situation could occur with the ewes.
There was, afterall, an August-shorn ewe in the line-up for the supreme ewe judging this year too, but a March-shorn ewe from Merryville, Boorowa, kept things within the bounds of tradition by rising to supreme.
So, with the March-shorn grand champion rams being outshone for supreme ram by their August-shorn contemporary, the punters will be left wondering, but also will likely talk about this one for years to come.
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Andrew Norris
Editor at The Land
Editor at The Land
