‘Shaggy’ the ram will once again lead the charge, as part of a team of Corriedale sheep bred and raised at Lithgow High School’s ag farm. 

Shaggy claimed number one in his class at last year’s Royal Easter Show. 

The sheep left the school on Tuesday afternoon, with the students set to follow on Wednesday morning to get their animals in tip-top shape for Thursday’s schools section competition. 

The team will be also be entering their sheep in the Open Corriedale section, which will be held on Friday. 

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The Show team had high hopes of ram No 21, which finished third in his section last year. 

Ag teacher Jon Abbott said the No 21 and No 18 rams both came from the same stud as Shaggy, the Roseville Corriedales. 

Eight students will be part of the Sydney competition, with another 15 to be taken to compete in the upcoming Dubbo Show and 20 at Bathurst’s 150^th Royal Show. 

“We hope to slow improve our results,” Mr Abbott said. 

“The quality of the sheep has been improving over time in both wool and carcass – they are a true dual purpose breed.”

Shaggy, at five years old, is considered to be quite a small Corriedale Ram, with his No 21 relative already 20kg heavier at 118kg. Ideally, the school stud will be looking for good carcass weight and a medium wool. 

“We keep experimenting and every year we are seeing more size, which is good,” Mr Abbott said.