2024 Perth Royal Show: Venturon Livestock shines bright in All Breeds Interbreed sheep competition
You couldn’t wipe the smile off Venturon Livestock co-principal Harris Thompson’s face after his White Suffolk ram was sashed the 2024 Perth Royal Show All Breeds Interbreed Supreme Champion.
The ram was earlier awarded the Supreme White Suffolk sash during the White Suffolk judging on September 25.
The Champion White Suffolk Ewe and Champion White Suffolk Ram representing the breed during the All Breeds Interbreed competition were both from Venturon Livestock.
The exhibits stood up extremely well during the All Breeds Interbreed Competition on September 26, which was scored by judges Isabelle Roberts, Rachel Chirgwin, Damien Hawker, Steve Pederick and Aaron Foster.
The 12 breeds competing for the honour of the All Breeds Interbreed Supreme champion sash included Australian Whites, Il De France, Lincoln, Poll Dorset, Prime SAMM, South Suffolk, Suffolk, Shropshire, Texel, White Suffolk, Wiltipoll and Wiltshire Horn.
The first class to be judged was for the All Breeds Interbreed Grand Champion Ewe.
Judges were instructed to award placing of the entries into first, second, third and fourth place with the remainder of exhibits to be awarded a score of five.
Judges Damien Hawker and Steve Pederick awarded the White Suffolk as their first choice, while Aaron Foster and Rachel Chirgwin awarded the Suffolk ewe in first place.
Judge Isabelle Roberts had awarded the Poll Dorset ewe in first place, however it was her second placement of the White Suffolk alongside judge Aaron Foster placing the White Suffolk in second, and judge Rachel Chirgwin placing the White Suffolk ewe in third, which led to the Venturon Livestock ewe being sashed the overall Grand Champion Ewe of the All Breeds Interbreed class on a total of nine points (lowest score wins).
Coming in as Reserve Grand Champion Ewe of the All Breeds Interbreed competition was the Suffolk ewe from Karinya Suffolk Stud on a total score of 12.
Karinya co-principal Richard Phillips said the ewe was sired by Karinya 1117 and was from the Ewe Born After July 1 class earlier that day, during the Suffolk judging.
Previously the ewe was part of the winning entry of two ewes and two rams in the Suffolk judging at the 2024 Williams Expo, going on to be awarded the Williams Expo Supreme Suffolk Champion.
Next, judging moved to the Grand Champion Ram of the All Breeds Interbreed class with Venturon Livestock again being awarded the broad sash for their Supreme White Suffolk ram, which earned a total of nine points from the five judges, with three placing the ram in first and two placing him in third.
Coming in as Reserve Grand Champion Ram on a total of 11 points was Karinya’s Champion Suffolk ram.
The Supreme Champion sash was then to be judged between Venturon Livestock’s Grand Champion Ewe and Grand Champion Ram, with the overall winner being declared the ram.
The prize included $800 in sponsorship money from Nutrien Ag Solutions.
The Venturon Livestock Grand Champion Interbreed ram and ewe then went on to be part of the winning Supreme Champion Breeders Group in the Interbreed competition.
Mr Thompson said he was incredibly thankful for the honour of his ram being sashed Supreme All Breeds Interbreed Champion, and had thought from the beginning when seeing both the ram and ewe as lambs that they had the potential to do well in the ring.
He said after both showed well at Wagin Woolorama, he decided to enter in this year’s Perth Royal Show classes for the first time since 2016.
Mr Thompson said both the ram and ewe were sired by Wingamin 210379 and were from home-bred ewes, which trace back to their original White Suffolk stud flock purchased from Peter and Carol Forrest’s Windy Hill White Suffolk Stud.
After the sashing of the Supreme Champion Breeders group, judging progressed to the Interbreed Group of Three Ewes where the White Suffolk’s reign continued.
The sash was awarded to Annaghdowns for their group of three ewes, with the prize including $150 in sponsorship money from Nutrien Ag Solutions.
Finishing the Interbreed judging for the evening was the Interbreed Group of Three Rams, which was awarded to Karinya Suffolk Stud.
The group consisted of the Reserve Grand Champion Interbreed Ram and the winning pair of Suffolk rams from the Suffolk breed class held earlier that day, with Elders sponsoring this class and awarding the winner $1500 in prize money.
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