How a sheep is judged will depend on who is assessing the entrants, but there is a basic list of criteria many work from.
At the Elders Riverina Sheep Expo, there are four judging categories.
• Riverina Ram of the Year;
• Riverina Ewe of the Year;
• Elders Performance Ram of the Year; and
• Elders Performance Ewe of the Year
The Riverina Ram and Ewe of the Year titles are specifically for Merinos.
These categories specifically look at wool quality and the correctness of the sheep.
With rams, a judge will usually look for masculinity traits, adequate height and length with balanced proportions, frame size and a strong and level structure, even wool that is uniform in length, soft, dense and bright and ample muscling and adequate fat cover.
An additional trait for the ewes is to check for two even teats.
The performance categories are for meat sheep.
Here, the judges are not only looking at the sheep’s structure, but the qualities that will make a good cut of meat.
Some of the common traits a judge will look for in a performance ram include a robust and masculine appearance, balanced proportions, sufficient frame and capacity for carrying meat, muscling and fat cover and even the quality of a wool.
Ewes are also checked for an udder with two even teats.
Sheep breeds common in the performance section include Poll Dorset, White Suffolk and Dohnes.
The judges secured for next week’s Elders Riverina Sheep Expo in Deniliquin will not be made public before the event.
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