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Brimfield has the Whyte stuff

Haidee VandenbergheCountryman

Nearly 1000 sheep are set to flock to the IGA Perth Royal Show over the next week, with entries up on last year's total of 900.

Entries include 680 British breeds and 270 Merinos, Corriedales and Dorpers.

Once again, Brimfield stud will be taking a 40 to 45-strong team of Poll Dorset and White Suffolk sheep to the show.

Last year, Stud principal Max Whyte and partner Gail Cremasco walked away with a swag of prizes in the ring, including grand champion ram, reserve in the grand champion ewe, all breeds short wool ram, all breeds pair of rams and the prestigious interbreed three rams competition.

Brimfield sheep have been a feature of the show for more than 15 years, and Max will admit that he caught the Royal Show bug early on.

He showed poultry as a teenager and showjumped horses until the age of 27, but said his prized meat sheep were now centre of stage at the show.

"I enjoy doing it but it's also a business and we sell a few stud rams there," the Kendenup farmer said.

"If you've got fairly good sheep you like to take them to display them.

"As far as stud sheep go, the show is fairly significant because the better studs sell their best rams at the show."

The Royal Show represents a culmination of a year's effort to select and prepare the sheep and the couple are anticipating stiff competition this year, spurred on by a good season for most of the State.

"There will be a lot more competition I'd say, but I think it will be a positive thing," Max said.

"In farming at the moment, there's not much negativity as far as the season and sheep prices go.

"It has been a good season, the grass is fairly hopping along… as long as we get another inch or two of rain, it will be good."

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