Top award to Ward breeder

Press, 14 November 1985, Page 31

Top award to Ward breeder

The feature class of the Corriedale section at the Canterbury show was the Premier Golden Ribbon Award for rams under 18 months which attracted 74 entries.

The judges, Messrs John Sidey, Evan Millar and Owen Adams, said there was very little difference in quality between the top 10 places — all the leading sheep had potential. The Golden Ribbon was won by M. E. Taylor, Ltd, Ward, for the first time. W. E. Bain, Millers Flat, was second, and R. I. Mcßae, Wanaka, third. Mr Mcßae had another sheep in the first 10 placings, David Sidey, Hawarden, had three placings, and J. R. and T. J. Burrows, Culverden, two

placings. An interesting addition to the Corriedale classes this year was a competition for ewes judged in the wool, shorn, and then rejudged. The value of the fleece was taken into account also. This section was won by a ewe from G. G. and B. M. Gilbert, Southbridge. The judge, Mr Bill Bain, of Roxburgh, said the contest was an outstanding success and it was pleasing to see Corriedale breeders were prepared to put their wool up for judging along with the carcase.

The winning fleece was valued at $34.22, had a micron count of 32.6, yield of 70.1 and weighed 9.45 kg (greasy). The clean price was 517 c kg. The 20 entries ranged in micron size from 25.6 to 33 and values ranged from $25.82 to $35.45. The three judges for the Corriedale group class of six sheep, Mr J. K. Forrester, Mr Bain and Mr C. R. Ensor, said the winning group from David Sidey was of top quality, and the sheep were good examples of the Corriedale breed.

The San Pedro Trophy for the best-headed ram was won by David Sidey with a ram hogget. The judge, Mr Forrester, Hawarden, said the winning ram had an outstanding Corriedale head, and had particularly clean ears. It stood very well and displayed itself impressively. Mr Forrester said choosing the San Pedro winner was a hard decision and there were many older rams with features almost as good as the winner. However, Mr Sidey’s ram had a slight edge. The four-tooth Corriedale ram class was of an exceptional standard, said the ram judge, Mr Brian Dixon, of Rangiora. Any one of the top six rams could have taken top honours. The champion and reserve champion rams, both entered by D. A. Sloss, Cheviot, formed a magnificent pair with good heads and fleeces. The champion also won the Killik Aike Trophy for the best sire’s fleece. The shorn ram class contained many long-bodied sheep, although one or two tended to be too well done, said Mr Dixon, who looked for length and balance when judging. The older shorn rams had good carcases, but some were slightly too strong in the wool. The woolly ram hogget class was judged by Mr Jack Taylor, of Ward, who said he was impressed by the outstanding sheep. It was difficult to bring out woolly ram hoggets in proper condition for showing and they were all a credit to their owners. The woolly ram hogget winner was a ram from B. J. Johns, Culverden, and the winning pair of shorn ram hoggets, entered by J. D. Sidey, were magnificent sheep, said Mr Taylor. The shorn ewe hogget class was difficult to judge because it contained many very even sheep. It was won by David Sidey. Mr Graham Sidey, of

Waikari, was most impressed with the champion and reserve champion Corriedale ewes. He judged a ewe from A. F. G. Blakeley, Waikari, as champion because it was an exceptionally good upstanding sheep. Both champion and reserve (from David Sidey) were carrying good fleeces and were well-covered on the points. Halfbred The Halfbred entry was of a very consistent standard, said the judge, Mr Colin Urquhart, of Erewhon station, Mount Somers. The champion ewe, entered by M. J. and M. A. Loffhagen, of Culverden, was of a good size and had a beautiful quality fleece. The champion ram, shown by the Loffhagens also, was very well-woolled. Romney The judges of the Romney section were very pleased with the standard of entries. Mr Murray Robertson, of Gore, said the line-up of rams would be hard to beat anywhere in New Zealand. The rams were long, and carried good fleeces. A feature of the Romneys was the single ram hogget class which attracted about 40 entries. These hoggets made up the best selection of ram hoggets Mr Robertson has seen for a long time and would compare with any competition in the world.

The winning ram hogget, shown by A. N. Chamberlain, Ellesmere, had a good sound carcase, legs and feet, and plenty of wool. . Border Leicester

The quality of the sheep entered in the Border Leicester ram hogget class demonstrated that breeders were trying to breed sheep with lean carcases and heavy strong wool, said the ram judge, Mr Alister McKerchar, of Waimate.

The ram hoggets were of very even standard and there was a good yarding, said Mr McKerchar. There was a disappointing number of woolly rams, but the champion ram shown by J. R. Gardner, of Waiau, carried a very good fleece. Mr McKerchar said he had difficulty choosing the champion ram from the Gardner entry and the winning ram hogget, shown by D. S. arid R. M. Hart, Christchurch.

The ewe judge, Mr Alan Blair, of Outram, was disappointed at the numbers of older ewes and four-tooths, but they were of a good standard. The champion ewe, from T. H. and R. H. Lemon, Ashburton, had an outstanding fleece. Mr Blair suggested breeders should pay close attention to sheep mouths as some of the four-tooth ewes were showing faults. The top three or four ewe hoggets had true Borderdale fleeces and the top shorn hogget, from G. M. and R. G. Gunn, Darfield, was an exceptionally good hogget and had potential to do well at future shows. Generally, the ram and ewe hoggets were of a better standard than the older sheep. English Leicester Mr Murray MacMillan, of Cromwell, was very impressed with English Leicesters which were well-pre-sented and well-grown. The over-all standard was comparable to other shows. Mr MacMillan said that apart from some minor leg faults, the quality of the sheep was tremendous. The reserve champion had the potential to grow into a top quality sheep. Borderdale

The Borderdale adult and hogget rams were of a very pleasing quality, said the judge, Mr John Harper, of Westerfield. The champion ram, by Miss R. E. Robinson, Ashburton, was big and bold and just what the market was looking for. It carried a very good fleece. The top four or five ram •X

hoggets were of high quality. Mr Harper was disappointed with the small entry of ewes, but in spite of this the ewe hoggets were good sheep, particularly the top three. Perendale The Perendale offering varied in quality, but some top class sheep were entered, including the champion ram, said the judge, Mr Jock Tocher, of Gore. The winning ram, shown by J. R. Wilson, Hanmer Springs, was an outstanding example of the Perendale breed.

Some ram hoggets lacked condition, but most were in good order. The older ewes tended to vary in quality, but the ewe hoggets were a good, even line. Cheviot Mr Tocher judged also a small offering of Cheviot sheep. The number of entries was disappointing, but the champion ram and ewe were big sheep and good quality. Some rams and ewes tended to lack size. South Dorset Down

Mr Tom Sutherland, of Albury, said he was very pleased with the over-all appearance of the South Dorset Down sheep. The champion ram, shown by Kenmore Farm, Ashburton, displayed what the breed was looking for — length, clearance from the ground, and no waste.

The same could be said for most of the ram hoggets, said Mr Sutherland. The quality of the sheep shown was proof that the breed could produce heavyweight carcases without excess fat and without the breed losing its over-all constitution.

The quality of the South Dorset Down ewes was pleasing and it was gratifying to see the ewes, which were rearing two lambs, maintaining their condition. Hampshire It was disappointing that Hampshire numbers were well down on normal levels for the Canterbury show, said the judge, Mr W. R. Thayer, of Gore, a former president of the Hampshire Breed Society.

No entries were made in the woolly ram class which had attracted strong competition in previous years. It was a pity that breeders had neglected that class.

The class for rams under 18 months was very strong and the winning sheep, entered by J. W. and C. G. Anderson, Darfield, was of top quality, was well balanced and of modem type. It was made champion ram. Although only four entries were made in the class for shorn ewes over 18 months, the quality was good and the champion ewe was a top animal shown by J. C. and D. J. Ingold, of Ashburton. Dorset Down The champion Dorset Down ram from H. Dalziel, Waipara, was out on its own, said the ram judge, Mr Ritchie Robertson, of Greytown. The ram had a great outlook and head, moved well and had a well-finished behind. The standard of the older rams was very even although the champion shorn older ram stood out. Mr George Fletcher, of Heriot, who judged the ewes, said the woolly ewes were slightly disappointing and some were heavy in the shoulders. However, the shorn Dorset Down ewes were outstanding and had good length and well-filled hindquarters. The top three ewes were good examples. There was a good line-up of shorn ewe hoggets and the champion ewe was nine-years-old and shown by D. 0. Masefield and Son, Goughs Bay. Mr Fletcher said he would like to see the woolly classes deleted in future and all sheep entered as shorn because Dorset Down was primarily a carcase breed. South Suffolk South Suffolk breeders were obviously moving with

the times and had taken notice of the market’s requirements, said the ewe judge, Mr Jim Mclntyre, of Gore.

The champion ewe, shown by Spring Creek Stud, View Hill, was a good quality, big ewe with two lambs and was a clear winner. Although the number of entries was not large, it was at an adequate level. The ram judge, Mr David Wyllie, of Ashburton, said the champion ram and winning ram hogget were glorious examples of what was required by the meat industry. Breeders had to place emphasis on loins, rib-eyes and hind-quarters because of the type of cuts required for today’s new markets. Mr Wyllie said stud breeders had gone a little overboard in breeding for leanness — although they had eliminated fat, the red meat content had been reduced as well.

Breeding stock to fit the consumer market took time and breeders needed patience to get there, said Mr Wyllie. Both the champion ram and winning ram hogget had fine smooth shoulders, long loins, and very good hind-quarters. Southdown The Southdown judge, Mr Dave McClea, of Oamaru, regarded the champion ram and ewe as having the long, lean carcases desired by the markets. Their conformation was outstanding, they had a good amount of meat on their hind-quarters and loins, and they had clean shoulders. All the Southdown sheep were in good order and there were no real weaknesses in any entry, said Mr McClea. Because of the recent droughts, some ewes which had raised lambs appeared to be slightly hard done by. Poll Dorset The line-up of Poll Dorset rams was fantastic and they were good representatives of the breed, said the ram judge, Mr Lindsay Warnock, of Invercargill. Because of the requirements of the market, the breed had changed substantially in recent years, and today’s sheep were much improved on the previous standard, he said. Breeders were reducing excess fat and getting longer, meatier sheep.

S. M. Boon and Son’s winning ram hogget was outstanding and after it was fully developed would be unbeatable in its class.

Canterbury was the premier sheep show in New Zealand and the quality of the Poll Dorset ewes reflected the show’s importance, said the judge, Mr Walter Somerville, of Invercargill. It was obvious that breeders were conscious of the requirements of the market and the females shown yesterday would hold their own anywhere in New Zealand. The top sheep were very feminine and their quality argued well for the future of the breed. Mr Somerville noticed one or two faults still persisting in some sheep, including faults in the back feet. Suffolk Amongst the Suffolk classes, the older rams tended to be of a more mixed quality than the hoggets, said the ram judge, Mr Don Smyth, of Ashburton. However, the over-all standard was top class and most of the sheep were of a modern type, with big, long bodies. The class for rams judged on objective measurement was a great success and attracted 24 entries. An Auckland Suffolk breeder, Mr Colin Irwin, judged the Suffolk ewes. Mr Irwin runs 140 stud Suffolk ewes and was very pleased with the standard of sheep at the Canterbury show. The various classes attracted far more entries than North Island shows did, he said. Among the older ewes, there were several shorter types and these were discounted. The quality of the shorn ewe hoggets was even, said Mr Irwin. Faults in the various classes included some colour on the necks and flanks of the sheep and britch on the back legs. Ryeland Mr Alisdair McHraith, of Southbridge, said the small number of Ryeland sheep was disappointing. Quality, however, was quite good. The biggest problem facing the breed was the size of the sheep and breeders should try to produce sheep with more stretch. The champion ram, from I. J. Muldrew, Oamaru, was a good animal with length, and a fine shoulder.