Good competition in meat sheep handlers at Sydney Royal

The handler aged to 10 to 14 years was won by Cameron Spink, St Gregory's College Campbelltown.

In second was Jeffrey Sutton, Macarthur Anglican Schol, Cobbity, and third was Nateisha Davis, also of Macarthur.

Connor Elmore, St Gregory's, was fourth and Annabelle Aran of Macarthur was fifth.

Judge Jo Balcombe, Young, said there was not much between first and second place and all handlers did very well.

"The only point, I think, that probably split them was he noticed he had a very balanced ewe so he was able to stand back from the sheep a little bit and let her present herself," she said.

"Then when I came in to touch the sheep he brought himself in and brought his knee in front of it like he should do.

"He recognised he really had a balanced ewe and really showed her off."

Cameron, who is 13 years old, said he had participated in several junior handler classes already, including last year's Sydney Royal, but this was his first win.

He thought he controlled his ewe well during the class. She was three years old and being fed mixed pellets and oaten hay, he said.

He enjoyed the social aspect of showing and also the experience he gained.

"I like just having fun and getting a reputation for later in life," he said.

His school had cattle and sheep teams that travelled to the shows. While he enjoyed both, he said he would prefer to work with sheep and was considering a career in the ag industry.

He thanked his teachers, the school farm manager, and his parents.

The senior class was won by 17-year-old Elizabeth Sutton from Wattle Farm Border Leicesters in Temora.

Ms Balcombe said she was a very confident handler that knew how to show off her sheep.

"She knew what she was doing," she said.

"I think I swapped her maybe three times and she was able to hold any animal she was given and showcase the animal, which is what it's about."

Ms Sutton has had success in a number of other competitions. The handler class was what she looked forward to the most at shows, she said.

The key was paying attention and knowing what the judge was doing, she said.

Her ram was an August-born Border Leicester bred by Wattle Farm.

Second place in the senior class went to Alexandra Fitzgerald, Lithgow High School, with Will Hackett of St Gregory's in third.

Fourth place went to Christine Sutton, Wattle Farm, Temora, with Lithgow High School's Liliah Dolbel in fifth and Liam Coyle, St Gregory's in sixth.