NSW father-and-son duo Jason and Justin O'Loghlin have led their Wiltshire Horn show team to success at the Melbourne Royal Show.
O'Loghlin Wiltshire Horn stud principal Jason O'Loghlin, Deniliquin, said he was "chuffed" with the day, taking out several top titles with his show selection.
They received first and second places in the over 1.5-year-old ram class, first, second and third in the under 1.5-year-old ram class, first, second and third places in the over 1.5-year-old ewe class, and first, second and third places in the under 1.5-year-old ewe class.
The titles meant they also won grand champion ewe and ram, and reserve champion ewe and ram, with their grand champion ram winning supreme exhibit of the breed.
Mr O'Loghlin said his son Justin led each of the first-place winners.
"We had a very-successful show," he said.
"I've liked [the supreme exhibit] from the outset as a ram lamb.
"I didn't show last year so he missed out on the opportunity to get shown.
"We took him to the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo in July and he was in an early stage of shedding and didn't present as well as what the top ram did on the day, which made second today.
"I liked him from the onset as being a very structurally-correct animal, he has scanned very well and has been at the top of the data collection.
"We used him as a sire this year, we gave him 115 ewes and I think he's doing alright."
He said the champion ewe was a last-minute selection for the Melbourne Royal Show, only deciding on Tuesday to bring her as part of the show team.
"The champion ewe is a bit of a novelty, she wasn't initially in the group to come to Melbourne but we picked her to come the day before we left," he said.
"When we did her muscle scanning in data collection she came to the front, she looked really good, she obviously presented so I swapped her out for one and my choice was correct."
Wiltshire Horn judge Australian Sheep Breeders Association president Peter Baker, Baringhup, Vic, said he was unable to fault the ram.
"He was just so complete, I couldn't find any faults with him," Mr Baker said.
"He was just a well-balanced ram with plenty of loin about him.
"The ewe was a beautifully-balanced ewe, she just didn't quite have the scale to go with the ram."
Rachel Simmonds
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
