WHEN the Bradford family, Hillcroft Farms UltraWhite stud, Popanyinning, loaded sheep onto the truck bound for the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria, never would they have imagined what would expire when they hit the judging ring.
The Australian Sheep & Wool Show marked the inaugural showing of the breed in Australia and the script for it couldn't have been written any better with a ram from the Hillcroft Farms stud being sashed the supreme Australian cleanskin exhibit ram or ewe in the interbreed judging.
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Up against rams and ewes from the Wiltipoll, Wiltshire Horn, Dorper, White Dorper and Australian White breeds the ram, Hillcroft Farms 217196, didn't have it all its own way but it stood out enough in the eyes of the judges to take home the supreme ribbon.
One of the three interbreed judges Brendan Mansbridge, Brooklyn Park Poll Dorset stud, Eugowra, New South Wales, said the ram was a very good representation of where the breed was heading.
"He is a big ram with really good growth for age," Mr Mansbridge said.
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"He also has a heap of width through the hindquarter and stands wide plus he has great width of loin."
Mr Bradford said it was very pleasing to see the ram come through in the interbreed in the breed's inaugural showing.
"It is the first time the breed has been shown and also now the first time we have won a champion interbreed ribbon even after showing Poll Dorsets for many years at shows in WA," Mr Bradford said.
Along with their interbreed champion the Bradfords trucked across three other rams and two ewes for the breed's inaugural showing and they were joined in the ring by Bulmar stud, Spring Hill, NSW, which exhibited three rams and two ewes.
In the breed showing the interbreed champion, Hillcroft Farms 217196, was sashed the champion UltraWhite ram by breed judge Joel Donnan, Anden White Suffolk and UltraWhite stud, Woomelang, Victoria.
Mr Donnan said the ram was on its way and was fresh.
"He is a toned muscle machine with meat right through and he also stands up very well," Mr Donnan said.
"He is a good example of what the breed is striving for and is a credit to the breeders."
The AI-bred ram, which will be offered in the stud's on-property ram sale in October, is a July 2021-drop twin born son of Hillcroft Farms 198155 and Hillcroft Farms 157572.
The ram earned its right to compete in the champion ram line-up after winning the class for rams under 1.5 years against five other rams.
Standing in reserve to Hillcroft Farms 217196 and being sashed the reserve champion UltraWhite ram was another Hillcroft Farms ram which placed second in the class for rams under 1.5 years.
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Mr Donnan said this ram was also a tremendous animal.
"He stands up and presents very well and also has plenty of meat on him," Mr Donnan said.
In the ewe classes it was the Bulmar stud which took top honours after a ewe from the stud won the class for ewes under 1.5 years and then went on to be sashed the champion UltraWhite ewe.
Mr Donnan said the ewe, which carried Hillcroft Farms bloodlines on both sides of its pedigree, was a nice feminine ewe with meat right through.
"She also has a nice head, is good on her feet and parades well," he said.
The reserve champion UltraWhite ewe ribbon went to a Hillcroft Farms ewe which placed second in the under 1.5 years ewe class.
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Mr Donnan said this ewe was a nice tidy ewe which stood up very proud.
"She is good on her feet and she has good muscling through the front which she carries right through," he said.
