Rocklyn clients produce top Caragabal flock
Long term Rocklyn Merino Stud clients Trevor and Stephen Cooper of T.H. Cooper and Co. took out first place at the 2022 Caragabal Merino Ewe Competition. Edwina Watson from The Land reported on the day and below is a copy of her article.
Ten sheep producers from the Caragabal region opened their gates last Friday for the 15th annual Caragabal Merino Ewe Competition. Richard Chalker of Lach River Merinos, Darbys Falls, returned to judge for a second year and was joined by Nutrien stud stock specialist Stephen Chalmers, Wagga Wagga, to assess the entrants.
First place was awarded to Trevor and Stephen Cooper of TH Cooper and Co, “Myall Park”, Caragabal with their Rocklyn-blood ewes. Annual entrants in the competition and last year’s second placegetters, the Coopers displayed 770 spring 2020-drop ewes shorn earlier this month, that were classed out at 30%.
“If you put a pen of these in a surplus sheep sale they’d be well sought-after,” Mr Chalmers said. “They look like good, fertile and productive sheep. They’ve got good mature heads, they stand up well and they’ve got a good skin on them. The big tall ewe up front knows that she’s good, she’s got stretch, she’s good on her feet, she’s got a beautiful tip and skin.”
“I’d love to see them in full wool. They’d be an outstanding flock to look at,” Mr Chalker said. “If you grab them on the side they’re soft and supple. They’re not overdone, it’s not a tight skin or a hard skin. They’re structurally good and their top lines are really good. They have a good, soft muzzle with a bit of wrinkle around the nose.” Mr Chalker said the ewes were “Set up for life. They’ll handle a dry time, they’ll twin lamb. Anyone would be proud to own these,” he said.
In wheatbelt country he said they would be “good weed killers too. Over the years the people with Merino sheep in the cropping industry have been feeding the grain they’ve been stripping but now they’re doing it the other way. I think there would be a lot of people wishing they had a few more Merino sheep,” Mr Chalker said.
On Rocklyn bloodlines for 13 years. Ralph Diprose of Rocklyn Merino Stud, Greenethorpe, classes the Cooper’s flock that measures an average of 18.48 in the micron with an average wool cut of 7.6 kilograms in the adult ewes. Last year the Coopers joined 2400 ewes to Merino rams with a 105%lambing rate in July/August.
Second went to Ross and Anne Noble who join 700 ewes to Merino rams at “Hillview” Caragabal. They had for display 200 spring 2020-drop Egelabra-blood ewes that were classes out by Paul Kelly, Egelabra, a t 28%. The ewes had three months’ wool that measured 19.5 micron. They were described as true to the Egelabra type, longer-bodied an with bright, white fleece.
The encouragement award went to Tim Taylor, who runs 900 Pastora-blood ewes, 17.5 in the micron, at “Mininjary”, Caragabal.
Stephen and Trevor Cooper with their winning flock of 770 maiden Merino ewes for the 2022 Caragabal Merino Ewe Competition. Photo: Rebecca Maslin.