Clients keep Jason Southwell up with the latest in sheep breeding

"In every industry, we have got to stop the 'doom and gloom' attitude, and it's refreshing to work with young inspiring people," the Orange-based sheep classer said.

"It keeps me going - to them it is a business, that is what they are focused on and sometimes its almost like I'm a steadying hand, trying to hold them back."

After three years study at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural College with a degree in agricultural science, Jason got his start in the pastoral industry with a jackarooing stint with the Romani Pastoral Company at Hay, and also with David Mott, at Berry Jerry Station, Collingullie.

That experience led in turn to a jackaroo position in 1994 on Mungadal Station, Hay, where Mark Byrne was the station manager overseeing a large Merino flock as well as a Merino stud.

"I was very keen to learn more about the stud industry and Mark promoted me to the stud overseer job," Jason said.

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In that role, Jason worked alongside the Cooma-based sheep classer John Williams in promoting the virtues of the Mungadal-bred rams.

"He was my first experience of a professional sheep classer and it opened possibilities for my career," Jason said.

"I then went to Hazeldean and working with the stud sheep really fired my passion."

It was during his time at Hazeldean that Jason was introduced to Tony Hill, a long-time Hazeldean client and breeding Merino sheep at Stockingbingal.

"He is such an enthusiastic bloke, and with his son Alex and daughter Zoe, they are a joy to work with," he said.

"I owe a lot to Chris Bowman, who was the manager at Uardry and Mark Byrne for encouraging me to take on the classing jobs - they really supported and pushed me."

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Jason had taken on the job as stud representative at Uardry, just as the Dohne breed was starting to have a major influence on the sheep industry, and was introduced to Bruce Barnes-Webb.

"He had a big impact on the Dohne in Australia and he helped me a lot when I was starting out," he said.

"I became an assessor for the Dohne breed - the Dohne had a positive influence on the development of the Poll Merino had the time and it made me focus on the carcass when I was classing Merino flocks."

Jason said one of the biggest changes he has noted within the wool industry has been that concentration on improving the carcass traits of the Merino sheep.

"When I started, wool was not travelling well and the Merino had not been considered for its carcass," he said.

"That all changed with the introduction of the Dohne - it was market led, and not necessarily through the use of Dohne genetics in Merino flocks."

When classing the ewe flocks, Jason admits to being a 'big fan of figures', but not to the detriment of the individual sheep or the mob.

"Figures are great, but it is important to have a type," he said. "The success of my clients is in their profitability, and at the end of the day when we are having a stubby and looking at the sheep in the yards, it is so satisfying to see they are even and all of a type.

"Despite the fads, I have always tried to class 'commercially', selecting the ewes you know are going to make money for the client."

He said the most successful people he classes for use both figures and visual assessment in the selection of the flock or stud ewes, but as the classer he has the overriding decision.

"I'm a huge advocate for figures, but you can't deny the basics - good structure, sound feet and proper shoulder placement," he said.

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