Kaya Dorper and White Dorper stud, Narrogin, dominates at Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo

The upstanding young rams took out the supreme double for the stud when they got the nod of judge Dawson Bradford, Hillcroft Farms UltraWhite stud, Popanyinning, for the broad supreme ribbons.

In the judging the Veitch family exhibited 11 Dorpers (eight rams and three ewes) and nine White Dorpers (six rams and three ewes) and they came away with not only the supreme ribbons but also a handful of other champion ribbons.

Leading the charge for the stud in White Dorpers was a quality young 14-month-old ram, Kaya 210265, which Mr Bradford said was an exceptional ram.

"He is an extremely long ram and for his length he carries his topline exceptionally well," Mr Bradford said.

"He is so smooth and long through his shoulders and topline.

"He also has exceptional fleshing and is good on his feet.

"He has everything the industry is looking for."

Prior to being sashed the supreme White Dorper exhibit the ram was sashed the grand champion White Dorper ram and junior champion White Dorper ram.

However, the success for the young ram didn't finish just with the supreme White Dorper ribbon - it was also sashed the supreme exhibit of the two breeds when it went up against its Dorper stablemate.

When it beat its Dorper stablemate, Mr Bradford said he couldn't go past the White Dorper sire because of its balance and length.

"He is an asset to both the stud and commercial industry," Mr Bradford said.

The Kaya ram earned the right to compete for the champion ribbons after winning its initial class for White Dorper rams under 1.5 years born between May 1, 2021 and July 31, 2021.

The ram is by Kaya 190270, which is still used in the stud and out of Kaya 190516.

Along with exhibiting the supreme White Dorper exhibit the Kaya stud also exhibited the senior champion White Dorper ram and reserve junior champion White Dorper ram.

When sashing the senior champion ram from Kaya, Mr Bradford said it stood up well for its age.

"It is a well-muscled ram which shows all the breed characteristics," he said.

Kaya's senior champion ram was by Kaya 180591 and out of Kaya 170292, while its reserve junior champion White Dorper ram was by Kaya 190529 which sold in the Bendigo sale last year for $6400 and out of Kaya 190467.

The grand champion White Dorper ewe ribbon went to a ewe with a ram lamb at foot from the Hay War Memorial High School's Aberline stud, Hay, NSW.

Like in the White Dorpers it was a young Dorper ram from the Kaya stud which caught Mr Bradford's eye and was sashed the supreme Dorper exhibit.

Mr Bradford said the young Kaya ram was a modern type Dorper and what the commercial industry was looking for.

"It was close between him and the grand champion ewe and I had to look hard to fault them," Mr Bradford said.

"He just got the nod as he had more muscle than the ewe.

"He is a tremendous ram with good structure, bone, muscle and growth.

"He is a free moving ram and I think he will finish up quite a big ram.

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"He has the attributes to be a ram which is both good for the stud and commercial industry.

"He is an exceptional ram and it is hard to breed a ram like him with that much balance and muscle."

Prior to being sashed the supreme Dorper exhibit, the ram won its class for Dorper rams under 1.5 years born between August 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021 and before going on to be sashed the junior champion Dorper ram and grand champion Dorper ram.

The ram, Kaya 210577, is by Kaya 190598, which is a ram the stud sold at Dubbo National Sale last year for $10,800 and out of Kaya 200309.

This wasn't the only Kaya ram to shine through in the Dorper classes - the stud also exhibited the reserve junior champion Dorper ram and reserve senior champion Dorper ram.

Mr Bradford said the reserve junior champion had a great topline, sound legs and good muscling while he described the reserve senior champion ram as a free moving, growthy sire.

The reserve junior champion is also sired by Kaya 190598, while the reserve senior champion is by Kaya 190513, which is now owned by the Bulmar stud, Spring Hill, NSW.

The Bulmar stud kept the Kaya stud out of taking a clean sweep in the Dorper ram championships when it exhibited the senior champion ram, Kaya 190345, which it purchased from the Veitch family for $42,000 at the Dubbo National sale last year.

Mr Bradford said the senior champion ram exhibited by Bulmar had a very good topline and carried its muscle right through.

"He is a very safe and correct sheep who will do a lot for the industry going forward," Mr Bradford said.

The Kaya stud also exhibited the junior and reserve junior champion Dorper ewes.

Mr Bradford said the champion was a balanced ewe with good fleshing and it was beaten on the day to grand champion ribbon by an older ewe which was an extremely long ewe.

Kaya's junior champion ewe was by Kaya 180925 while the reserve champion was by Kaya 190598.

The grand champion Dorper ewe was exhibited by the Bulmar stud, Spring Hill, NSW.

Mr Bradford said the Bulmar ewe carried so many good features.

The 2016-drop ewe carries Kaya Gorilla bloodlines on both sides of its pedigree.

Along with having a successful showing at Bendigo, the Kaya stud also recorded good results in the Annual BreedELITE Dorper Sheep Society of Australia Southern Region Supreme Dorper and White Dorper sale which ran over the three days of the show as online sale on AuctionsPlus.

In the sale Kaya achieved the $7000 top price for a Dorper ram, Kaya 200085, which is by Kaya 180286.

It has Australian Sheep Breeding Values of -0.26 for birthweight, 7.16 weaning weight, 10.86 post weaning weight, 1.11 post weaning eye muscle depth, 0.14 number of lambs weaned, 1.71 lean meat yield, -1.27 intra muscular fat, along with a TCP index of 126.89 and a MCP index of 138.65.

All up in the Dorper side of the catalogue the stud offered and sold three Dorper rams for an average of $4333.

When it came to its offering of Dorper ewes the stud offered six and sold five for an average of $2100 and a top of $3400 which was paid for its junior champion ewe.

When it came to its White Dorpers Kaya recorded a top price of $5200 for one of its rams, Kaya 200675.

The twin born ram is by Kaya 180186 and has indexes of 137.74 for TCP and 128.01 for MCP.

All up the stud offered and sold six White Dorper rams to an average of $3300.

The stud's offering was rounded out by six White Dorper ewes which sold to a top of $2000 and an average of $1817.

Kaya wasn't the only WA vendor to offer Dorpers in the auction, Marius Loots, Prieska Dorpers, Mt Barker, offered four rams and they all sold for an average of $3075 and to the sale's $6400 second top price.

The stud's $6400 ram was a 2021-drop twin by Prieska 190600.