Making the trek across the Nullarbor to the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria, last week was well worth it for Yonga Downs White Suffolk stud principals Brenton and Harriet Addis, Broomehill, with one of their young rams shining in the judging.
Yonga Downs exhibited three rams in its second showing at the event and collected the reserve junior champion ram sash.
It wasn't an easy decision for judge Damien Hawker Omad stud, Serviceton, Victoria, when it came to deciding where to place the junior champion and reserve junior champion ram ribbons, as the top two rams were very close.
Eventually a ram from the Mertex stud, Antwerp, Victoria, claimed the champion ribbon in front of Yonga Downs sire.
Mr Hawker said the Yonga Downs ram was a fantastic sire like the champion and the result could have gone the other way if they had been judged in WA.
"I loved the Yonga Downs ram from its opening class, he is structurally correct with good length and depth of carcase," Mr Hawker said.
"He also has fantastic breed type and is a great example of the breed.
"But in the end he just missed out on the champion ribbon as the Mertex ram just carries a bit more meat and has slightly better neck extension."
The Yonga Downs ram was in the junior champion ram line-up after winning the class for rams born in July in the year prior to showing ahead of 13 other rams.
The ram, which is by Ramsay Park 199256, won the pair class at this year's Wagin Woolorama and has already been used in the Yonga Downs flock as a lamb.
Yonga Downs also finished third in the class for rams born in May in the year prior to showing, which attracted 15 entries.
All three rams exhibited by Yonga Downs will stay in the Eastern States and will be offered at the Elite Show & Sale at Bendigo in September.
