Goat was the mystery meat on the menu in the barbecue cook-off that made up one of the entertaining attractions at the Isisford Show on Saturday.
Known as the “best little show on the Barcoo”, the cook-off prompted plenty of interest as Merino, Dorper and the mystery meat were cooked up for blind taste testing.
The Member for Gregory, Lachlan Millar, proclaimed the Merino cuts the tastiest, which set the trend for the central western show that gives people the opportunity to compete in all aspects of sheep and wool breeding.
Over at the sheep pens, Merinos outdid their medullated fibre competitors in the trade sheep competition for weight gain and skin value, and the fine wool being produced by Janet Downs, Longreach, helped them to wins in one of the last remaining wether trials in the west.
On the stage it was the children who captured the attention of all when the under fives took part in a best dressed lamb competition.
The cutest costume prize went to Wally Banks, Blackall, while Longreach’s Blake Corling had the best face, Zara Banks the most imaginative costume, and her cousin, Ella Mohr was the best presented.
The sub-juniors entered the sheep judging ring, with Ilfracombe’s Hamish Thomas and Xavier Brown winning first and third prizes, while Winton brothers, Jack and George McLeish, were second and fourth.
In the flock ewe competition it was the Chandler family at Oma, Isisford and their Egelabra-blood four tooth ewes that won grand champion pen and grand champion single ewe prizes.
A total of 28 pens were entered, comparable with last year.
The Banks family at Springleigh, Blackall, showed the grand champion fleece of the show, weighing 6.6kg with a yield of 67 per cent.
Wool prizes were spread around, with Marchmont at Ilfracombe having the reserve grand champion fleece, while fellow Ilfracombe breeder, Rodney Downs had the champion pair of fleeces at the show.
Over at the cattle section, it was Harry and Susan Glasson of Yaraka who had the grand champion pen of the show, with their Santa Gertrudis cows and calves that had been agisting at Merrigal.
Brad and Sally Edwards, Isisford, had the champion heifer pen with their Charolais Santa Gertrudis cross entry.
The Pidgeon family at Ventry took first place in the steer section.
Judge, Ben Walker, Blackall said while not all the cracks in the ground had been filled in by rain, the quality of stock on offer was right up there.
There were 20 pens yarded for competition, comparable to previous years.
There was plenty of competition in the horse section, where Corfield’s Prue Fargher and Eleora Hope were first in the open section, taking the win from Jan Taylor and Boree Solstice, and Laura Axsentieff and Phillip.
Jaimee Mills and Rathcool Cool Angie won the junior competition, while Madisyn Sitters and Napoleon were first in the juvenile.
The hack class was won by Longreach’s Margie Elliott and Jigsaw, with Penny Anderson and Shifty second, and Belinda McLeish and Notus Drinks third.