It was a super show for dual purpose sheep exhibitors, the Gale family of Galaxy Park, Tintinara, when they won all major ribbons in the Prime SAMM judging.
From the supreme exhibit to the sires progeny group class, they dominated the ring, and according to judge Graham Day of Allendale stud, Bordertown, it was executed with an impressive display of Prime SAMM sheep.
The Galaxy Park supreme ram, GP 218, a son of Galaxy Park 99-13 and out of a Galaxy Park ewe, weighed 119 kilograms, had an eye muscle depth of 45 millimetres and 8mm yearling fat.
It was his win in the ram under one and a half years showing no more than two-teeth class that initiated his road to supremacy, eventually taking the champion ram ribbon before trumping a fellow Galaxy Park ewe to earn the top title.
Mr Day described the 18-month-old ram as the “complete package”.
“He is a really classy animal, he has lovely balance with a lot of depth and width and he has a very attractive fleece on him as well,” Mr Day said.
“He possesses a sirey head and is beautifully made in his confirmation. He hasn’t got many faults.”
Galaxy Park stud manager Michael Gale, said the sire will be retained by the stud.
“The plans will be to join him naturally to a group of specially selected stud ewes,” Mr Gale said.
It was only the ram’s second show after travelling to Bendigo for the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in July.
The champion ewe ribbon was won by Galaxy Park 366, a ewe that first paraded in the pairs class, with the second of the pair named reserve champion.
A daughter of Galaxy Park 41-15, the champion ram of Adelaide Show in 2016, and out of a Galaxy Park stud ewe, Mr Day referred to the winning ewe as being extremely feminine with a lot of growth.
“They are both beautiful pair of feminine young ewes with a lovely amount of growth in them,” he said.
“But when I let them walk it was the champion ewe that paraded better.”
Mr Gale said she will be retained as a stud ewe at Galaxy Park.
After judging the ram and ewe against each other for supreme, Mr Day said they were both great examples of the SAMM breed .
“They both have beautiful SAMM heads – the right size for frame size,” he said.
“The ewe showed a similar carcase, but just didn’t carry the brilliance of the ram.
“We all know how hard it is to breed a good ram, but I am hopeful that that sire will breed on well.”
Galaxy Park also won the breeders group of one ram and two ewes with Punari Prime SAMM in second place.
Mr Day described the group as “outstanding” with the ram especially impressing him.
“As a group they had good quality, length and commercial traits,” Mr Day said.
The sires progeny group was also awarded to Galaxy Park, all fathered by Galaxy Park 41-15, a sire that has bred on particularly well for the stud.
“We used him heavily in the first year, but we didn’t join him to as many ewes this season,” Mr Gale said.
“Being 12 months on you always have something better coming along in the younger ones.”
Most successful exhibitor was awarded to Galaxy Park.
