Wheetelande White Suffolk Claims Supreme Interbreed Ewe
- 1. @stockjournal facebook.com/stockjournal stockjournal.com.au 27 STOCK JOURNAL ■ September 10, 2015 Wheetelande winds down with big win By ALISHA FOGDEN W HEETELANDE White Suffolk principals Bob and Idrienne Neill, Farrell Flat, closed a successful 23 years of stud breed- ing with the sash for supreme interbreed ewe. The ewe had been awarded supreme White Suffolk exhibit in the feature breed showing and Mrs Neill said it was their best- ever show result. “We have been showing at Adelaide since 1999 and have never won a trophy this big,” she said. The 106-kilogram ewe was sired by Gemini 207 and out of Wheetelande 7040 – a ewe that won her class at Adelaide two years ago. The 14-month-old supreme had 46 millimetres eye muscle depth and 9.5mm fat scan. “She’s a great ewe, with a very feminine head, good neck and shoulders, long length of loin, and good rump,” Mrs Neill said. The Neills showed a team of 10 White Suffolks. The supreme ewe went on to sell at $4750 as a wild-card entry in the Elite Stud Sheep Sale, while a Wheetelande ram by the same sire and from the July-drop class, achieved the sale’s top price of $22,000. A second Wheetelande ram by Detpa Grove 247, also from the July-drop class, sold at $11,000. It’s a fitting wind-up for the stud, which was established in 1992, because the Neills have decided to disperse the stud. In October they will conduct their annual ram sale, offering 100 flock rams, and in January all their unmated ewes will be sold. They may show again next year, depending on this year’s drop, but will put all of their 2015-drop stock up for sale in October 2016. Interbreed supreme ram was a long wool Border Leicester from Trevor and Judy James’ Coolawang stud at Mundulla. The 114.5kg ram was the junior and grand champion ram in Border Leicester judging, sired by Wellingrove Rusty 27/11 and out of triplet ewe Coolawang 243/09. It was also top in the Border Leicester objective measurement class, recording 44EMD and 8mm fat. Interbreed judge Tom Corkhill, Normanhurst, Boorowa, NSW, said the ram had few faults. “His structure, bone, tremen- dous carcase for a young Border Leicester ram and a good, even, dense fleece,” he said. “He also has a big, beautiful sire’s head, right from the front end to the back end – he’s unfault- able.” Mr James said they would prob- ably retain the ram’s semen for in-flock use, before offering him at their annual sale in October. Coolawang was also the most successful exhibitor in the Border Leicester judging, after winning grand and junior champion ram and junior champion ewe among many other ribbons. Prime lamb and maternal interbreed ■ Supreme champion prime lamb and maternal breeds ram: Trevor and Judy James, Coolawang Border Leicesters, Mundulla ■ Supreme champion prime lamb and maternal breeds ewe: Bill and Idrienne Neill, Wheetelande White Suffolks, Farrell Flat ■ Supreme champion British breed group: Trevor and Judy James ■ Supreme all-breeds group: Trevor and Judy James ■ Champion interbreed lamb production terminal: K&A McLauchlan,Valma Poll Dorsets,Whitemore,Tas ■ Champion interbreed lamb production maternal: Geoff and Jill Gale, Galaxy Park SAMMs, Monarto South ■ Champion interbreed pen of three rams under 1.5 years: Graham, Kirsty, James, Ross and Martin Gilmore,Tattykeel Poll Dorsets, Oberon, NSW ■ Champion long-wool ram: Trevor and Judy James ■ Reserve: Graham and Di Jenke,Wattle Glen Corriedales, Strathalbyn ■ Champion short-wool ram: Lachie and Kylie McCrae, Somerset White Suffolks, Cavendish,Vic ■ Reserve: Graham, Kirsty, James, Ross and Martin Gilmore ■ Champion long-wool ewe: David and Carol Jackson, Jacksons Border Leicesters, Moyston,Vic ■ Reserve: David, Lynne, Jared and Talisa McArdle,Taljar, Parndana, Kangaroo Island ■ Champion short-wool ewe: Bill and Idrienne Neill ■ Reserve: Ian and Barb Nitschke, Glenarbian Texels, Millicent Coolawang builds impressive group THE James family, Coolawang, Mundulla, not only took out supreme interbreed ram, but also won supreme champion British breed group and supreme all-breeds group with their Border Leicesters (pictured). The group consisted of the James’ junior and reserve champion Border Leicester ewe and the ram under 1.5 years class winner. The same three also won the sire’s progeny group in the Border Leicester judging. Lachie James (pictured second from left) said it was the first time they had won a supreme exhibit and all-breeds group title in their 15 years of showing. “It was one of the best shows we have had,” he said. “It’s very hard to compete over White Suffolks and Poll Dorsets, particularly in a feature year.” Interbreed judge Geoff Risbey, Stanbury, Camperdown, Vic, said the “impressive” group was “very even”. Also pictured are interbreed judge Jan Hunt, Mount Gambier, with Coolawang’s Stacey Kleiner and Trevor James. SUPREME TEAM: Stock Journal stud stock manager Mark Scown (centre) congratulates Stacey Kleiner and Lachie James, Coolawang Border Leicester stud, Mundulla, on their supreme ram, and supreme ewe owners Idrienne and Bob Neill, Wheetelande White Suffolk stud Farrell Flat. 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