After holding its inaugural showing at last year's Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria, the UltraWhite breed this year showed it shouldn't be taken lightly, dominating the cleanskin interbreed judging competition.
Up against Wiltipoll, Wiltshire Horn, Australian White, White Dorper and Dorper breeds, the UltraWhite breed claimed three of the four ribbons given out in the two cleanskin interbreed classes.
Leading the charge for the breed and claiming two ribbons in the judging was the breed's founders, the Bradford family, Hillcroft Farms stud, Popanyinning, backing up its success in last year's judging when it exhibited the supreme Australian cleanskin exhibit (ram or ewe) at the show.
The other interbreed ribbon won by the breed went to the Induro stud, Wakool, New South Wales, exhibiting a ewe carrying pure Hillcroft Farms' genetics.
Despite claiming two of the interbreed ribbons, the Bradford family this year narrowly missed out on exhibiting the supreme Australian cleanskin exhibit (ram or ewe) with the title going to the Induro ewe.
One of three interbreed judges, Shane Baker, Booloola White Suffolk stud, Barringhup, Victoria, said he believed the Induro UltraWhite ewe was the most structurally correct animal on the judging mat.
"She has terrific depth and balance along with plenty of style and presence," Mr Baker said.
"She will be a top breeding ewe for the breed."
Induro stud principal Guy Treweek said he purchased his first UltraWhite ewes 18 months ago from Hillcroft Farms and this ewe was progeny of one of those ewes.
"Currently we have about 13 breeding ewes in our UltraWhite stud which runs alongside our White Suffolk stud program," Mr Treweek said.
"I am hoping to build up our numbers very quickly as there is plenty of demand for the UltraWhite breed.
The winning ewe is ET-bred and is by the Hillcroft Farms ram which was sashed the supreme Australian cleanskin exhibit at last year's show.
In the UltraWhite breed judging, where just over 30 animals were exhibited by six studs, the Induro ewe was sashed the champion UltraWhite ewe and at this point, breed judge Craig Mitchell, Gemini UltraWhite and White Suffolk stud, Weneth, Victoria, said it was an exceptionally good ewe which was very correct with the good carcase traits you strive for.
"I am sure she is going to be a ewe which will take the breed forward," Mr Mitchell said.
Collecting the reserve champion Australian cleanskin exhibit was an upstanding, young ram from the Hillcroft Farms stud, which was sashed the champion UltraWhite ram in the breed's judging.
When it received its reserve interbreed ribbon, Mr Baker said it was a very structurally correct ram with an excellent carcase, but it just didn't have the same balance and outlook as the Induro ewe.
In the breed judging, Mr Mitchell said he really liked its volume, size and carcase attributes.
"He is a very correct ram with good presence and style," he said.
"He paraded very well and is smooth through the front end."
The ram, an April 2022-drop, ET-bred ram, Hillcroft Farms 227082, is by Hillcroft Farms 217157 and out of Hillcroft Farms 178253.
It was in the UltraWhite champion ram line-up after beating 10 other entries to the first-placed ribbon in the class for UltraWhite rams under 1.5 years.
Also in the cleanskin interbreed judging, the Hillcroft Farms stud collected the reserve champion ribbon for the group class for one ram and two ewes behind a group of Dorpers.
Mr Baker said all three Hillcroft Farms animals showed good structural correctness and they were terrific examples of the breed.
"The two ewes are very even and the ram stands up really well over them as a nice, big ram," he said.
Along with collecting the champion ram ribbon, in the UltraWhite breed judging, Hillcroft Farms also exhibited the reserve champion UltraWhite ewe, when its ewe stood in the reserve position to the Induro ewe.
Mr Mitchell said it was a very good ewe which was correct and had good carcase attributes but it just lacked the bulk of the champion from Induro.
Both the Induro and Hillcroft Farms ewes started on their path to the top after finishing first and second in the class for ewes under 1.5 years which attracted 10 entries.
The reserve champion UltraWhite ram ribbon in the breed judging went to a ram from the Rosedale stud Speewa Island, NSW, which carried Hillcroft Farms bloodlines on both sides of its pedigree.
