A NEW entrant took Poll position at the world's biggest sheep competition last week.
The Peters family's Yandembah Poll Merino flock, of Booligal, won the coveted top honours at the Peppin-Shaw Riverina Ewe Flock Competition with its Ballatherie-blood young ewes.
It was a competition of firsts - the first time a new entrant won the overall best flock, and the first time a Poll Merino flock was placed No. 1.
Adding to the Peters family's satisfaction was the fact their prize-winning ewes had been bred using rams from their own stud. Geoff Peters said it was a great honour to receive the award.
"I've been passionate about the Merino industry all my life and I guess I've passed it down to the next generation in my sons," he said.
Mr Peters paid tribute to his family, sons Andy and Mark, and his wife, Dianne, all of whom, he said, played an integral role in the operation.
The family runs the 13,700ha Yandembah Station, as well as their base property Ballatherie, which is home to their Ballatherie Poll Merino stud.
Competition judge, Rob Ashby, said the Yandembah sheep were ewes "bred for the country (they run on)". "I thought their wools were pretty good, had good thickness (fleece) and would cut pretty well," he said.
The Yandembah flock also won the competition's northern section, with Yarto at Booligal the runner up.
The southern section was won by the Matthews family's Bedarbidgal flock, ahead of the Chapman family of Nyangay.
The central section was won by Yeadon.
The Huggins family of Eurolie won the competition's encouragement award while the fertility award went to Nyangay.
The top five placings in the competition were: Yandembah, Bedarbidgal, Yarto, Nyangay and Cooinbil.
