EVER thought about what goes into sheep showing?
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It's more than just taking a sheep into a judging ring and potentially getting a ribbon.
Just ask Glen Esk Correidales owner Rick Hoolihan. He knows all too well the ins and outs of sheep, with a lifetime of experience.
"Sheep showing is more than just turning up at the show, all of the work is done before then," Mr Hoolihan said.
He said it was about selecting the right type of animal you think is going to be successful.
"Once you do that, you start with the process of feeding the sheep and clipping and stuff like that," he said.
He said judges looked for a true to type and structurally correct sheep. "All that goes down to what their opinion is and what they think one [true to type] is as well.
"Some people like a fine Corriedale in the wool and other people like a broader style," he said.
The Rydal-based stud owner is off to the Sydney Royal Easter Show from April 8 to 12 with seven of his best sheep.
"I'm a little bit competitive so I like the whole competition side of things," he said.
Mr Hoolihan said previously at Sydney Show he had been quite successful.
"We've been very successful in the last three years."
"We've won two Champion rams and a Reserve Champion ram and the year we got beat and got reserve was by my genetics that beat us anyways by a young stud owner Katrina Abbott out at Wambool. She's doing very well with those genetics," he said.
Mr Hoolihan said a couple of years ago he also finished third in the Interbreeds.
"It's all been pretty exciting," he said.
Why are sheep shows important?
Mr Hoolihan said sheep shows were important for the future of agriculture and it was good to have schools involved.
Rydal Showground recently hosted a NSW Corriedale Association Sheep Show where several schools were involved on the day.
"Out of that 70 students if we got one that wanted to breed Corriedales into the future, I could see that being a benefit," Mr Hoolihan said.
He said studs often donated sheep to schools to get an emphasis on agriculture.
"We go around to different schools, we donate sheep, get them going and it just gets a bit of interest into agriculture and headmaster's love to see ribbons on the sheep which belong to their school," he said.
He said the show was also an opportunity to give up and coming judges a chance.
"The main purpose of the Rydal Sheep Show is for us to give up and coming judges a chance to judge somewhere where there's not as much pressure as a major show," he said.
Mr Hoolihan said the ultimate sheep show to have an exhibit was at Bendigo Show.
"We've won seven Australian championships in the wool section, we've come pretty close to winning with a champion sheep but not yet," he said.
Mr Hoolihan said breeding and showing sheep came down to breeding good genetics to breed better sheep.
"It's as simple as that."
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