He was named best exhibitor in the Corriedale section. 

Mr Hoolihan has been showing sheep at the Sydney agricultural extravaganza for the last 10 years but he said his success this year was unprecedented. 

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He said he had never won a champion ram ribbon at the Royal Easter Show before. 

“The history of Corriedale sheep at the Show is so long, they’ve been shown for more than 100 years and in that time there have been so many great studs that have won the champion ribbon,” he said. 

“To be in that group – it’s pretty special.”

The champion ram is a relatively new addition to the Glen Esk stud, joining Mr Hoolihan’s flock from a Corriedale breeder in Tasmania.

His Rose-Lea stud, the first one he founded in 2003, was also well represented, taking out the woolly ram under one year old and pair of ewes under two years.

Judges were well pleased with the pair of rams exhibited from both studs, awarding Glen Esk first place and Rose-Lea second in the section, where they were the only entrants. 

Mr Hoolihan claimed third in the prestigious Peter Taylor Group, showing one ram and two ewes with milk teeth. 

The dual purpose Corriedale breed has a long history of success in Australian conditions. 

“They have a good temperament, produce quality wool and meat. They are a pretty easy doing sheep,” Mr Hoolihan said. 

Of course, these champion rams were not the best to be found on the studs currently, Mr Hoolihan said. They were too busy at home in the paddock, with the ewes. 

The studs will continue to put their best hoof forward at the biggest Corriedale meet in the country, the Australian Sheep Championships, in Bendigo in July.