Doug McCall, a brother of the owner, and judge Eualie Thwaites, with the Southdown ram which won the Supreme Sheep Award at the Southland A&P Association’s 150th Show in Invercargill on Saturday.
A cricket game at Waikoikoi prevented Ross McCall from being on hand to receive the trophy for the Supreme Sheep Award at the Southland A&P Show in Invercargill on Saturday.
McCall, who along with his wife Tracey are sheep breeders at Waikoikoi, was playing for his local cricket club. However, the luck he had at the show didn’t stretch to Waikoikoi and the home team lost to Central Western.
He and his brother Doug, of Benio, brought the family’s entries to the show on Saturday morning and then Ross returned home.
The Southdown ram, owned byMcCall, and Tracey and David Somerville, of Pine Bush, won four awards on Saturday – Supreme, Age Group, Champion Southdown and Meat Cup.
“He was a point off winning the supreme award at the Wyndham show [in December],” said McCall, a fifth generation farmer.
Winning the top award on Saturday provided hi m with his fourth supreme title at shows.
“It’s a big honour winning at the 150th show.”
His brother Doug said the ram had strong qualities.
“He’s got good hindquarters, good loin, good bone and well balanced.”
Saturday was the first Southland A&P Association Show McCall had entered sheep in since the annual event was moved from the Invercargill Showgrounds 10 years ago. The main reason for his absence was that it clashed with him playing cricket for the Waikoikoi club, of which he became a life member in January.
“I’ve been playing cricket for 33 years.”