Australian praises Merinos

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 21

Australian praises Merinos

The Merinos at the Canterbury A. and P. Show were good, big sheep which had been well presented without being overdone, said the Australian judge, Mr Peter Kininmonth, of Victoria.

He said the top sheep showed a pleasing lack of conformation faults and he was happy to see that they had been presented to him without over-conditioning, as was sometimes the case in Australian shows. Mr Kininmonth said he was looking forward to spending two weeks looking over the South Island high country where the sheep he i had judged had been born and raised. Mr Kininmonth said that Mr R. W. Gibson’s (Tarras) champion fine combing Merino ram was a big, wellcovered sheep with a very masculine head. He said it was a good example of a

genuine fine combing Merino.

The reserve champion fine combing ram also exhibited by R. W. Gibson, had not quite the outlook of the champion, he said, but was nevertheless a very good sheep. The champion fine combing ewe, from K. D. Stevenson, of Rangiora, was a very big aged sheep with top quality wool. “It has lovely soft, wellmarked wool and it went on to be the champion Merino ewe of the show,” said Mr Kininmonth.

The reserve champion ewe, entered by P. S. Molineux, of Blenheim, had great conformation, the judge said, but lacked a little in the wool compared to the champion. Among the medium combing woolled Merinos, the champion ram, entered by K. D. Stevenson, was

outstanding in size, balance and conformation. Its excellent fleece with plenty of weight, also carried it on to be the grand champion Merino ram of the show.

The reserve champion medium combing ram, from J. R. Todhunter and Sons, of Rakaia Gorge, was not as big as the champion but had an excellent underline, according to the judge. Among the medium combing ewes a pair from K. D. Stevenson took the championship and reserve championship. Mr Kininmonth said the champion was very big for. a two-year-old, and it had thick, well-marked wool and wellcovered points. The reserve champion, although also a great ewe, had stripped the wool from her legs, a not uncommon occurrence after lamb-

ing. The champion strong

combing wool ram, exhibited by A. D. and C. T. Paterson, of Ranfurly, was a big, bold sheep with long, thick and freely-opening wool, said the judge. The reserve champion, from G. M. and B. J. Black, of Blenheim, was another top sheep, only two years old, with a little too much colour in the wool at present. This is something that would probably go as the ram aged. The champion strong combing ewe was a big, thick two-year-old from K. D. Stevenson, with a little colour in the wool but with a “great” poll and covering of the points.. The reserve champion, also from K. D. Stevenson, was only a hogget, but it had very well-marked wool. Mr Kininmonth said he would like to see this ewe later in its life because the only fault that he could find

at present was a lack of "front,” to be expected of a young sheep. Mr Kininmonth runs two large properties in the Western District of Victoria. The main Mount Hesse Estate is a property of 4000 ha in a 22-inch rainfall district. Improvement of pasture in recent years had allowed carrying capacity to be increased from one dry stock equivalent 30 years ago to the current 3.7 units. Total sheep shorn in 1984, including the stud of 1200 « breeding ewes, was 28,000. Some 500 Hereford cattle are run and 200 ha of oats and 50 ha of barley grown. Nearby Mr Kininmonth also had 7500 Corriedales on the second property. He is a very well-experienced judge, usually specialising in super fine and fine Merinos.