Perth Royal Show: A Kalinda Suffolk ewe described as a ‘butcher’s dream’ won interbreed supreme honours

Boyanup Suffolk sheep breeders Mat and Alison Mitsopoulos had their last hooroo as exhibitors at the Perth Royal Show with a huge win taking out the top prize in the Meat Sheep Interbreed Competition with a magnificent ewe. The couple announced they had sold their stud flock with the majority of stud ewes finding a new home straight after the Show at Ashley Maiolo’s Rocky Ridge stud, at Narrogin. It was a dream exit for the couple, who won their first interbreed supreme award for an individual exhibit and two interbreed group awards after building their stud Suffolk flock for the last 10 years. “It was our last opportunity to take the win as we plan to take a well-deserved holiday, but will continue to run a few cattle that don’t require as much attention,” Mr Mitsopoulos said. He said the highly awarded ewe, Kalinda 22-0553 that was previously sashed grand champion exhibit during the Suffolk breed competition, was sired by Jusak Ambassador and was a June 2022-drop. “She has excellent muscle composition while expressing beautiful femininity,” Mr Mitsopoulos said. Five judges deliberated their point scores during the interbreed competition including Guy Treweek, of Induro White Suffolk and UltraWhite stud in Wakool, NSW, and Anna Darke, of Lincoln Downs Suffolk stud in Boyup Brook. The other judges were Jason O’Loghlin of O’Loghlin Wiltshire Horns stud in Deniliquin, NSW, Adrian Veitch of Kaya Dorper stud in Narrogin, and Perth Royal Show sheep show committee member Donald Cochrane. In the ewe line-up with 10 different meat sheep breeds, two judges had the ewe on top, another two had the ewe in second place and one judge placed it in third for a total of nine points — lowest score wins. Meanwhile, the Texel ewe was the Suffolk’s nearest rival on 11 points. Mr Treweek said the Suffolk ewe had great muscle shape and was a “butcher’s dream” meaning her genetic merits would produce commercial progeny that would dress well and produce the lamb quality that brings consumers back for more. “She has faultless structure and stood very correct,” he said. The Kalinda ewe was sashed the grand champion interbreed ewe of the show and would next be judged against the grand champion ram for supreme honours. The Texel ewe, exhibited by Jim and Jan Glover of JimJan stud in Boyup Brook, was sashed reserve grand champion interbreed ewe. In the grand champion ram line-up, Mr O’Loghlin said the “incredibly correct” White Suffolk ram stood well against eight other breeds. The White Suffolk ram was exhibited by the Fairclough family, of Stockdale stud in York, and it was previously judged grand champion exhibit in the earlier breed judging. Stockdale stud co-principal Laurie Fairclough said the ram was sired by Karralea 284 and was earmarked as a stud reserve. Three judges had the White Suffolk as their top pick for the grand champion award and the Fairclough family only had one more challenge to go against the Suffolk ewe. The rams nearest rival was the Texel which was awarded reserve grand champion — giving the Glover family another boost with their breeding direction. The White Suffolk ram then stood next to the Sufflok ewe — the two interbreed grand champions going for supreme honours. The majority of the judges gave the ewe the nod to give the Mat and Denise Mitsopoulos their first Perth Royal Show interbreed supreme victory for an individual animal. In the interbred group classes the couple had a dream run winning both the inaugural interbreed group of three ewes and the supreme champion breeders group. The Fairclough family won the interbreed group of three rams with their White Suffolks against seven other groups of different breeds. The sashing of the group of rams ended another very successful sheep show at the Perth Royal Show that put 543 entries into the judging ring, up 150 on last year. Meat Sheep Interbreed Competiition Supreme Champion: Kalinda Suffolk ewe Grand champion Ewe: Kalinda Suffolk, Reserve: JimJan Texel Grand Champion Ram: Stockdale White Suffolk, Reserve: JimJan Texel Supreme Champion Breeders Group: Kalinda Suffolk Interbreed Group of Three Ewes: Kalinda Suffolk Interbreed Group of Three Rams: Stockdale White Suffolk