THE ribbons were shared around in this year’s IGA Perth Royal Show Prime Lamb Carcase Competition.
This year the competition attracted 39 entries (117 lambs) which were entered across two sections (four classes) in the competition lightweight and heavyweight, with V&V Walsh sponsoring the competition, all the lambs were delivered and processed at V&V Walsh where judging occurred.
The four classes were lightweight division (18-22kg, 6-20mm fat depth) open and Merino dam and heavyweight (22.1-26kg, 6-20mm fat depth) open and Merino dam.
There was a fifth class called the Amelia Park division which was for lambs 20-24kg carcase weight and 6-15mm fat. Entries for this class were selected at judging time from the other four classes.
When the winners were announced, the Glover family’s JimJan Texel stud, Boyup Brook and the Fairclough family’s Stockdale Poll Dorset and White Suffolk studs, York, collected the two major awards – the champion open carcase and grand champion pen of three carcases.
The Glover family exhibited the champion open carcase and the win made it 11 times the Glovers have claimed the champion open carcase ribbon in the past 18 years and the 15th time a Texel-sired lamb has claimed the ribbon in 18 years.
The lamb had a carcase weight of 24.45kg and GR fat measurement of 11mm.
The carcase came from one of the Glovers entries in the lightweight open class any dam.
The Glovers also exhibited the champion Amelia Park carcase.
This lamb had a 21.90kg carcase weight and a GR fat scan of 11mm.
Both lambs which were dropped at the beginning of June, were sired by a JimJan Texel ram and out of a Texel-Merino ewe.
The Glovers also took home the award for the exhibitor for gaining the most points in the competition.
The Fairclough family exhibited the grand champion pen of three carcases.
The Faircloughs won the top award after finishing with a score of 84.9 points.
The entry also took out the award for the champion pen of three lightweight carcases and won the lightweight Merino dam class.
The three carcases weighed 21.3kg, 21.9kg and 21.05kg and had GR fat measurements of 10mm, 10mm and 11mm respectively.
The lambs were sired by their own Stockdale Poll Dorset rams, dropped in May and were straight off their mothers for the competition.
The Squiers family, Shirlee Downs Poll Dorset and Prime SAMM studs, Quairading, exhibited the champion carcase out of a Merino dam.
The winning carcase came from the family’s entry in the heavyweight Merino dam class.
The lamb was dropped in April, sired by a Poll Dorset ram from their breeding program and out of a Merino ewe.
It had a carcase weight of 25.40kg and GR fat of 11mm.
The Tunstill family, Eringa Park Poll Dorset stud, Kalannie, took home the champion ribbon for a pen of heavyweight lambs.
The winning entry from the Tunstill family received the ribbon after finishing on 80.4 points in the heavyweight open class any dam.
The three carcases weighed 25.4kg, 24.3kg and 25.5kg and had GR fat measurements of 13mm, 11mm and 15mm respectively.
The lambs were sired by their own Eringa Park Poll Dorset rams and out of Merino ewes.
The pen also won the award for the best pen of heavyweight lambs sired by a Poll Dorset.
The winning pen of three lambs with Amelia Park specifications was exhibited by Tim and Steph Stevenson, KD Genetics, Cunderdin and Kojonup.
The trio finished on 86.3 points to claim the award.
The three carcases weighed 22.3kg, 23.3kg and 23.15kg and had GR fats of 11mm, 14mm and 11mm.
The winning pen were sired by the operation’s own Prime SAMM rams and out of Prime SAMM-Merino cross ewes.
