OUYEN’S Tamaleuca Poll Merinos is launching into its 2025 on-property ram sale on a tsunami of success at some of the biggest sheep shows in the country.
A stalwart of the smaller country circuit, which Tamaleuca is committed to helping keep them going, when the stud of Kevin Crook and Danni Wilson turns its attention to the bigtime it does it with a big bang.
At the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo it picked up ribbons in classes from fine wool to strong – including grand champion March shorn fine wool ewe and reserve grand champion August shorn strong wool ram.
Then the Tamaleuca tornado swept into Hamilton Sheepvention and blitzed the Poll showring with an overwhelming string of successes.
All of it providing the perfect launching pad for its annual on-property ram sale on Friday, August 29.
As well as claiming both Poll supremes at Hamilton, the stud also picked up superfine/fine wool ewe; medium wool ram; medium wool ewe; strong wool ram and strong wool ewe.
If it was a Poll award worth winning, it had the name Tamaleuca next to it.
Tamaleuca’s Kevin Crook and Danni Wilson said with less than a fortnight to the stud’s ram sale the Bendigo/Hamilton hit parade could not have come at a better time.
“We have 72 rams catalogued for our auction this year, which starts at 1pm and will be interfaced with AuctionsPlus,” Ms Wilson explained.
“Included in that catalogue will be a prime selection of non-mulesed rams, which have been included to meet the growing demand for sheep of that type.
“There will also be some of the rams we have also had in our show team.”
And what a team.
Ms Wilson said a new direction which started a quarter of a century ago in South Africa has been rewarded in recent years with the stud’s unparalleled success in shows across the country.
She said the South African visit made the stud have a long hard look at where its emphasis should be.
“As a result of that visit, Tamaleuca became one of the first Merino studs to do muscle scanning,” Ms Wilson said.
“One of the things which is still critical for us today is wool is a lovely product, and good wool is more than worth its weight, but at the same time the world can survive without wool.
“But it can’t survive without food, and that’s why we have such a focus on a dual-purpose sheep.
“Which is why we got so excited about also winning the dual-purpose Merino title as well.”
Tamaleuca took a team of 15 to Sheepvention and brought home a whopping 20 ribbons.
Which Ms Wilson agreed was testament to the stud’s disciplined approach to producing quality wool and quality meat on the one sheep.
“Our supreme ram this year was winner of the dual-purpose class at Hamilton last year, so what does that tell you about sheep which deliver both ways,” she said.
“You never really know what you are going to get at a show, but we have to admit this one has been a really good result for us.
“We brought a bigger team than normal, but we really try and get behind all the country shows because once they stop, they rarely come back again.
“And our supremes this year are very, very good sheep – the ram is just so correct, he’s very good on his feet and has a beautiful, long, white, waxy medium wool and the ewe is very similar, and she is such an uncomplicated sheep which will cut you about 8kg of wool and go out to the paddock and give you twins.”
Inspections at the Tamaleuca ram sale start at 10.30am on sale day, but private inspections before then can be arranged by appointment.
Further details from Tamaleuca Poll Merinos at tamaleuca@bigpond.com or 0427 921 037.
