Rural
7 April, 2023
Pairs stand out at merino show
A line-up of 21 ram and ewe pairs at Horsham's recent merino show could have set an Australian record, top national breeder and Glendonald principal Robert Harding of Nhill district said this week. Some of Australia's top merino studs were...
A line-up of 21 ram and ewe pairs at Horsham's recent merino show could have set an Australian record, top national breeder and Glendonald principal Robert Harding of Nhill district said this week.
Some of Australia's top merino studs were represented in the pairs event, which went to Yorke Peninsula stud Orrie Cowie, with second place taken by Brimpaen breeders Rod and Harry Miller.
Mr Harding said the quality of sheep in the show was a credit to all studmasters represented.
"The standard was fantastic," he said. "And Melbourne shows or Bendigo's national show would not have had the numbers seen in Horsham."
Mr Harding has twice shown Australia's supreme merino ram and four times won national pairs awards.
He wants the excellent qualities of wool recognised by the fashion industry.
"When I started in sheep breeding in the 1970s, wool was four per cent of the world's textile trade," he said. "Now it's down to 0.6 per cent."
He said cashmere was fetching $125 a kilogram while comparable wool fetched just $20.
Stud sheep numbers were also falling, caused by a serious shortage of shearers, phasing out of the live sheep trade and low wool prices.
"We have top sheep but we're not getting enough for our wool," he said.
The third Wimmera Merino Sheep Show in Horsham attracted 160 stud merino and poll merino sheep with most from Victoria and SA.
Mr Harding's prizes included most valuable ram fleece, as well as best strong wool and medium champion fleeces.
Judges were Ben Hartwich, Australia’s best young merino judge in 2021 and Belbourie Merino Poll Merino stud principal Paul Hendy of Marnoo.
Craig Eagle of Glenera North of Bungalally won the Tom Harmsworth trophy for grand champion fleece. Nurrabiel wool producer Alan Hutchinson won the Austin Eagle trophy for champion commercial fleece as well as weaner fleece.
The Russell family's Melrose Stud, Nurrabiel, won best ewe fleece and an aggregate award and Gary Staehr of Laharum won best of three fleeces.
John Balla of Orrie Cowie on the Yorke Peninsula, and most succesful exhibitor in the sheep show, is also Australian blade shearing champion and leaves soon for Scotland where he will compete in world championships.