Perth Royal Show: Pettison Park South Suffolk ram scoops Supreme Champion sash in ASSBA Interbreed Competition

The South Suffolk breed dominated the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association Interbreed Competition at this year’s Perth Royal Show, with a Pettison Park ram sashed the Supreme Champion. Exhibited by the Simpson family of Quairading, the June-drop ram was earlier judged joint winner in the Pair of Rams Under 1.5 Years class of the South Suffolk breed competition, where it went on to be crowned Champion Ram and Grand Champion exhibit. It was awarded the Supreme Champion sash after going head-to-head with the Supreme Champion Ewe — an Ile de France ewe exhibited by the Batt family of Goldenover Stud in Cuballing — in the ASSBA Interbreed Competition. The three judges — Perry Jasper of Samphire Park stud, Steve Pederick of Sans-Souci Australian Whites stud and Aaron Foster of Wendenlea Suffolk and White Suffolk studs — said it “wasn’t an easy decision”. “We felt that they were both great examples of either breed, but the ram was just a little bit smoother and more balanced and correct than the ewe — even though the ewe was showing tremendous scale for an 18-month old,” Mr Jasper said. “At the end of the day, we just thought the ram had a bit more polish and balance than the ewe.” This year’s ASSBA Interbreed Competition was between six rams and six ewes from six breeds: South Suffolk, Ile de France, Lincoln, Wiltipol, Wiltshire Horn and Shropshire. Pettison Park stud principal Rod Simpson, whose family have been breeding South Suffolks since the 1950s, described his Supreme Champion exhibit as an “all-round, very smooth ram to look at”. “He had all aspects of his breeding to the fore; I was extremely pleased with the shape of the ram,” Mr Simpson said. “His sire is a Pettison Park ram that we had at the show three years ago, which also came first in the 1.5-year-old rams’ class.” The Supreme Champion was a second drop by the homebred sire. Mr Simpson said he was “pretty chuffed” to claim the sash for the second time after winning it three years earlier with a Pettison Park South Suffolk ewe. The Supreme Champion Ewe had progressed to the ASSBA Interbreed Competition after winning the Ewe Under 1.5 Years class in the Ile de France competition, in which it also claimed the title of Champion Ewe. The judges said the Goldenover ewe was good on her legs and feet with a “tremendous” carcase. Goldenover stud principal Ray Batt said the ewe, sired by a homebred ram — Goldenover 190031 — was “very complete and very hard to fault”. “She’s got immaculate topline, she’s very, very good in the hindquarters, and stands on four good feet and legs. She’s a pretty handy little ewe,” Mr Batt said. Iveston stud in Williams won the Supreme Champion Breeders Group with a South Suffolk group of two ewes and one ram. Mr Jasper said the two “very correct ewes” were nice and smooth and the ram was and “upstanding and well-fleshed”. “They were a very even group,” he said. Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association Interbreed Competition Supreme Champion: Pettison Park South Suffolk ram Supreme Champion Ram: Pettison Park South Suffolk Reserve Supreme Champion Ram: Hazeldean Ferguson Shropshire Supreme Champion Ewe: Goldenover Ile de France Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe: Iveston South Suffolk Supreme Champion Breeders Group: Iveston South Suffolk Exhibitor Gaining Most Points In Any One Breed of British Breed: Eaglenook Wiltipols