Perth Royal Show: Eastville Park Poll Merino sashed supreme

The Mullan family, of Eastville Park stud in Wickepin, were thrilled to take out the supreme exhibit award of the Merino and Poll Merino sheep competition at the Perth Royal Show with about 120 entries contesting for the prestigious title. The quality competition that took place over the weekend — September 21 and 22 — and drew 14 studs from as far south as Wagin, and east to Bruce Rock and north to Miling, remains a favourite for breeders to showcase the Merino industry to the greater Perth public. Eastville Park stud co-principal Grantly Mullan, 47, a fourth-generation stud breeder and woolgrower said it had been wonderful to answer questions from “city friends” who pursued an education at the show of what happens in the country. “When issues such as live sheep export come up, they talk to us and seem to stick up for us — a lot of them have small businesses and don’t want government interference, just like we don’t,” he said. “The Government should be listening to us — they sucked the positivity out of our industry. “In WA, the market has turned though — the number of lambs on the ground will be down due to combined forces so the prices of mutton and lamb will start rising — we just lack a bit of an increase in wool price and a 10 to 20 per cent increase would do nicely.” Mr Mullan said he had enjoyed growing up in the industry, taking on the succession plan that was handed down from his great-grandfather and grandfather, Ernie Doncon (on his mother’s side), who established the family’s introduction to stud breeding. “It’s certainly a good life, even with the current challenges lately — the friends you make especially — a lot are fellow stud breeders,” he said. “They are my best friends, there is always a little bit of competition between us — a good thing, but mostly I have always loved sheep as does my dad and now my kids are following in the tradition. “Dad has guided me from when I was young, we were proud when he received an award from Prince Charles.” The Mullan family are mixed cropping and sheep farmers. “The argument between cropping and sheep shouldn’t be one — they all go well together, mixed farming is best,” Mr Mullan said. “The years that the pasture is in builds up nitrogen back into the soil, and the cropping phase opens the country up and allows us to run sheep on stubbles while they clean up the weeds.” The Mullans run two studs of 1500 breeders each — Eastville Park (20 micron average) and Quailerup West (19 micron) with wool-cut of about 7 to 8 kilograms per head as well as another 1000 commercial breeders for a total production of between 300 and 400 bales of wool each year. The supreme exhibit, an Eastville Park 4-tooth medium wool Poll Merino ram was ET-bred through semen sourced from South Australia-based Collinsville stud’s sire 170521, which was sold for $35,000 in a half-share purchase by NSW-based Westray Merinos stud. The now highly decorated EP ram began life as an embryo, flushed from a Greenfields dam. “We purposely selected the Collinsville sire to breed our supreme champion,” Mr Mullan said. “He is structurally correct, early maturing and has a rich stylish white wool which is hard to get on an early maturing type of ram. “We will use him extensively and he is earmarked to go over our Kamballie family, adding that rich nourishment — this type goes well in the Wheatbelt keeping the dust out and the yields up in our environment.” Perth Royal Show judge Drew Chapman said the Eastville Park ram presented a “great outlook” with a “magnificent head, great length of body and was beautiful on his feet — he is very complete”. When this ram was lined up in the supreme judging, he was up against six other grand champion exhibits including a Tilba Tilba March-shorn superfine wool Merino ram, and an Eastville Park March-shorn strong-wool Poll Merino ram. Also in the line-up was a Auburn Valley August-shorn medium-wool Merino ewe and a Eungai August-shorn strong wool Merino ram. Further competition came from a Manunda August-shorn strong-wool Poll Merino ewe and a Manunda March-shorn medium-wool Poll Merino ewe. In the group classes, the Button family of the Tammin-based Manunda stud, were awarded the champion pairs sash, while the Jones family, of Bruce Rock-based Belka Valley, won the champion sash for their group of three rams. The Rintoul family, of Williams-based Tilba Tilba stud, were awarded the group of three ewes title against five other entries. The junior champion ram title was awarded to the Mullan family and the junior champion ewe sash was won by the Button family.