Geoff Jones of The Troffs, Trundle has had a great start to the year, taking out the Forbes Show Society's Glamis Border Leicester stud trophy for the best pen of first-cross ewes for the fifth time in six years.
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His winning pen of 220 Border Leicester/Merino ewes, March/April 2021 drop were sold as first pen of the sale at $452 a head.
Troff Pastoral sold just short of 1900 ewes for an average of $399.50.
Agent Adam Chudleigh from McCarron Cullinane said it was an absolute credit to all of the vendors on the run of sheep they have put together during the auction.
Mr Chudleigh said numbers were back a little at the sale due to the recent rain making it difficult to get some sheep out, but the quality of the ewes was great.
It's quality the annual sale has become known for and the reason the buyers return each year.
"It's a positive for the buyers as well, because they get sheep they know will perform," he said.
Glamis Shield judges Jo Balcombe from Cranbrook Pol Dorsets and Mitch Rubie from Lachlan Merinos said the quality of the ewes presented was at a very high standard across the board.
"The season has helped as well as the genetics and bloodlines on top of that," Mr Rubie said.
On Geoff Jones' winning pen, Mr Rubie said the ewes are definitely the standout.
"I reckon you could travel around NSW and even the country and you couldn't find too many first cross ewes as good as them," he said.
Ms Balcombe said the ewes had the right frame and muscling to accompany that throughout the body.
Along with this, Ms Belcombe said the whole mob were quite even, and consistently good.
Although the judges had praise for the winning pen, Ms Belcombe said throughout it was a very good lineup from the vendors, with some really nice ewes in the pens.
"The buyers should be pretty happy with the lineup they've got to pick from today," she said.
Geoff Jones, from Troff Pastoral, said a lot of feed and work, as well as good breeding, went into consistently producing top ewes.
He has used the same bloodlines this year as previous years - Darriwell blood ewes and Glamis rams.
With the better season last year, Mr Jones said the amount of feed available, especially during lambing did make a difference, however the long harvest did come with its own challenges.
Mr Jones said he would also like to mention his shearers who have done a fantastic job this year, as well as over the previous six years.
Mr Jones said he would like to congratulate all of the other vendors on the presentation of their sheep.
Almost 23,000 ewes were penned in the sale, with good joinable ewes making between $300 to $370 for the main run.
Lighter ewes made from $220 to $300.
The Clemson Family from Burcher had the top priced pen of ewe lambs at $500.
According to the Forbes Livestock and Agency & Co. the Clemson family's pen of 161 first cross ewes broke a Forbes Saleyard record when they sold for $500.
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The ewes were bred out of Laurel Park blood Merino ewes by Wattle Farm Border Leicester Rams.
Jack from Forbes Livestock and Agency & Co. said the ewes weighed in at 85kg on average and were scanned in lambs to pol dorset rams.
Jack said the ewes were an outstanding line of well bred ewes out of the Clemson Partnership.
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