Family wins trophy in memory of late son as Dohne breed features at ASWS

Article courtesy of ACM (Barry Murphy) Stock & Land​

John, Robyn, James and Peter Nadin, Macquarie Dohne stud, Ballimore, NSW, with their supreme champion Dohne ewe and the trophy in memory of their late son and brother, Tom. Picture by Barry Murphy

A New South Wales family has won a memorial trophy in honour of their late son and brother at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.

The Macquarie Dohne stud, Ballimore, NSW, took home the supreme ribbon for the Dohne breed, the feature sheep in Bendigo this year.

The Tom Nadin memorial trophy was awarded to supreme champion ewe.

Mr Nadin was the late son of Macquarie Dohne stud principal John Nadin.

Tom died in 2011 at the age of 19 following a farm machinery accident in America and the memorial trophy was created three years ago.

Speaking to Stock & Land about his late son, John said he had a huge passion for breeding sheep.

“It means a lot to us,” he said.

“It’s a memorial award for our eldest son that we lost so it does mean a lot.”

John said his supreme champion ewe was a great example of the Dohne breed and had all the correct attributes, despite being an older ewe at five-years-old.

“She has very quality wool all over,” he said.

“She’s long, staple shafting, medium wool and she’s very good on her feet and has a tremendous top-line and length of body.

“The real quality of that ewe is she’s a five year old ewe and she’s still got quality wool.”

The Macquarie stud brought 26 sheep to Bendigo.

John put the stud’s success down to a consistent breeding program and strong working relationship with his stud master.

“We’ve never wavered from the type of sheep we want to breed,” he said.

“And so, our sheep, we believe, will breed to that type.”

John was joined by his wife Robyn and sons Peter and James in the show ring.

The supreme ewe was first the March-shorn champion ewe.

Judge Dries Pienaar, White Wools Dohne stud, South Africa, travelled to Bendigo to inspect Australia’s best of the breed.

He said the supreme ewe would fit into the flocks of their country of origin.

Mr Pienaar said he looked for good economic capabilities in a top Dohne animal and said these were visible in the supreme ewe.

He said the ewe had an excellent wool clip, quality top line and a square body.

“That proves that the Dohne ewes work,” he said.

Harrison Gurnett (13) and Michelle Sutcliffe, Gunyado Dohne stud, Kerang, with Matt Rowlands, Swan Hill, and their champion and reserve champion June-shorn ewes. Picture by Barry Murphy

The June-shorn champion ewe was bred and exhibited by the Gunyado Dohne stud, Kerang.

Stud co-principals Michelle Sutcliffe and Darren Gurnett also took home the reserve champion ribbon in the same class.

Mr Gurnett said his 2.5 year old champion ewe had really good shape, good confirmation, feet and a good twist on the back.

“She has a good wedge shape,” he said.

“With Dohnes you want to be getting a wedge shape, wider at the back, narrow at the front for ease of lambing.

“She just shows all those attributes.”

The Nadins also took home the June-shorn champion ram ribbon.

The family ran 300 stud ewes and about a 1000 commercial Dohne cross breeders.

The March-shorn champion ram, and eventual grand champion ram in the Dohne tent, was bred by the Calga Dohne stud, Coonamble, NSW.

Stud co-principal Sandy Pye said his ram’s success came down to its constitution.

He said the ram was a typical example of what the stud aimed to breed.

“He’s nice and square, your typical Dohne barrel and shape, and he’s got it finished off with beautiful, bright, stylish wool,” he said.

“He’s good length and then he had the figures to get him over the line, just what you want in a Dohne.”

Matt Rowlands, Swan Hill with Margie Pye, Sandy Pye, Jason Southwell, Derrym Meddings and Georgina Meddings, Calga Dohne stud, Coonamble, NSW, and their grand champion ram. Picture by Barry Murphy

Judge David Barrell, Midgery, Walgett, NSW, said the selection of the champion ram came down to its figures.

The grand champion ram ribbon was awarded in memory of the late Bill Pye, father of Sandy and former stud principal at Calga.

Calga Dohne stud master Jason Southwell, Coonamble, NSW, spoke in memory of his late friend.

“This ribbon means quite a lot, it’s the Bill Pye memorial ribbon and obviously, Bill is a person I hold in high regard,” he said.

“It means a lot to me to win this so thank you very much on behalf of the Pye family.”

Sandy said the Calga stud ran 800 stud ewes and a commercial operation of 15,000 ewes.