Forward looking breeders

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33384, 16 November 1973, Page 7

Forward looking breeders

The veteran Uruguayan Corriedale breeder, Dr Alberto Gallinal, who has 25,000 sheep of the breed back home in the central part of his country, said at the Canterbury show last week that he had found New Zealand Corriedale breeders looking well ahead.

He said that he had found them talking and thinking in economic terms —of fertility and production per acre.

Dr Gallinal, who has been on his fourth visit—his first was in 1935—-was the donor of the San Pedro trophy which is competed for at the Canterbury show. It is awarded to a Corriedale ram with half of the points being for the head and the other points for general appearance, sire character and walking and standing ability.

Dr Gallinal said he was proud that the trophy had been helpful to the breed. Carriage and walking ability were very important, he said.

And in this context, he was critical of sheep being ' judged at a show in pens as he sometimes saw in New Zealand. He said that animals could not be assessed in this way.

Dr Gallinal was accompanied by his nephew, Mr Luis Saenz, and Mr Saenz’s brother-in-law, Mr Carlos Brum. Mr Saenz has 25,000 Corriedales and Mr Brum 20,000. Mr Brum said that he felt that Corriedale breeders here were well oriented. They did not forget that the Corriedale was a dual-purpose sheep and had to have both a good body and good wool. It was his impression that there were better sheep here than in Australia. The visitors’ confidence in New Zealand sheep has been reflected in several purchases while they have been in this country.

Dr Gallinal and Mr Saenz have a special reason for remembering New Zealand apart from their interest in Corriedales—when Dr Gallinal made his first visit here he was on his honeymoon and when Mr Saenz came here in 1960 he was also on his honeymoon.