Finley High School show team students (from left) Abbey Tanner, year 9, Nick Chesworth, year10, Ryan Bauer on ram halter, year 10, Lilly Baron, year10, Ava Schlink on ewe halter, year 9, Lilly McNamara, year 11, Matilda Burton, year 9, Holly Arthur, year 9. (The last students have the ribbon for the pair of sheep which won the School Interbreed Pairs class.)
The 25th Australian Sheep and Wool Show brought thousands of people to Bendigo, showing off the best of Australian agriculture, including studs and high schools.
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The show was held from July 18 to 20 at the Bendigo Showgrounds.
Finley High School took a team to the show and came back with a collection of ribbons for their efforts.
The school has an active agricultural program, including cattle and sheep.
From its Poll Dorset flock, the school exhibited the winning shorn ram under one-and-a-half years bred by the exhibitor, a first in the shorn ewe under one-and-a-half years bred by the exhibitor, and ram lamb dropped after April 1.
The school exhibited a ram which won the School Interbreed Rams class and a ewe which was placed second in the School Interbreed Ewe class.
Together, the ram and ewe won the School Interbreed Pairs class.
Matilda Burton with the Champion Novice Sheep under one-and-half years, Annie Romanin from Apiam, who sponsored the class, and judge Charlotte Cain.
Longwood’s Hynam Poll Merinos stud principal Kevin Hynam said the day went better than before.
“The event was good, very successful, as far as the crowd goes the first day, they had a record crowd, and I would have said the second day was just as big,” Mr Hynam said.
“It was very good, and the atmosphere overall was good.”
Hynam had four rams on display in the Merino display, as well as three in the ram sale on the Sunday.
He said the event was a time for sheep farmers around the country to get to know each other.
“It’s also a good opportunity to meet up with other people that are enduring the same challenges as what we are,” Mr Hynam said.
Hynam Poll Merino stud principal Kevin Hynam.
Toland Merino from Violet Town attended with four rams on display.
“We showed off our current genetics, and had a display up in the Merino marquee, with some other studs,” Anna Toland said.
“Also my dad and I, we run the all-purpose section, judging. That starts on the Friday, and we processed 60 animals.”
Ms Toland’s father, Phil, has been running the section for 20 years, and she has come in to help with the data.
She said her favourite part of the shows and expos was seeing the interest among young attendees.
“Being someone young in the ag industry, I think it’s reassuring to see so many young kids interested in the sheep and wool show and showing sheep and all that sort of thing,” she said.
“It’s a good testament to our ag industry that we’re retaining these young people.”
Anna Toland and Simon Riddle representing Toland Merino.
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