A combined carcass and fleece value of $828 won students from Mudgee’s St Matthews Catholic College the overall championship in the inaugural Community Bank Gilgandra and Central NSW Bendigo Bank NSW Dohne Prime Lamb Schools’ Competition.

Some 26 schools and 260 high school students from across the state competed in the event at Orange on July 29.

Initiated and supported by the Australian Dohne Breeders’ Association, the competition was designed to develop the next generation of farmers, decision makers and industry leaders.

Each school received five Dohne wether lambs in February and had the responsibility of finishing them on either grain, pellets, grazing crops or show meal over five months with the single mission of maximizing commercial profit through smart management.

Students selected two wether lambs for processing at Gundagai Lamb in early July with the objective carcass data calculated to give a meat value.

Accredited judges Barry Lang and Jason Southwell assessed the lambs on the hoof in the subjective judging, presenting the champion sash to St Matthews Catholic College, with Dubbo College Senior Campus picking up the reserve champion.

Lambs selected for the championship judging were weighed and ultrasound scanned for eye muscle and fat depth. They were then shorn with fleeces weighed and micron tested.

In the carcass results, finalists were Barraba Central School, Lake Cargelligo Central School, Orange High School, St Matthews Catholic School, Orange Anglican Grammar School.

St Matthews emerged as the overall winner with a team carcass value of $725, with Orange Anglican College second on $696.30, and Lake Cargelligo third on $694.84.

In the fleece results, finalists were Merriwa Central School, Red Bend Catholic College, Portland Central School, Crookwell High School and Orange Anglican Grammar School.

Red Bend Catholic College, Forbes, took out the championship with an average fleece value per lamb of $121.23, with Merriwa Central School in second on $119.85 and Orange Anglican Grammar School third on $116.86.

St Matthews was named as the overall champion with the combined scores to give an average fleece and carcass value per lamb of $828.39 while Orange Anglican Grammar School claimed the reserve champion sash on $813.16.

Aside from the showing and judging, students gained an insight to shearing, fleece testing, working dog demonstrations, and learn about emerging technologies and explore career pathways at the trade stands.

A Careers in Agriculture panel featured guest speakers Emily Pitt, AGnVET, Brooke Watts, Bralca, Michelle Henry, Gundagai Meat Processors, Peta Bradley, Sheep Genetics, Matt Playford, Dawbuts Worm Testing, and Kieran Smith, For Flocks Sake.

Program coordinator Daniel Pumpa deemed the event as an outstanding success, with students developing real-world skills in animal husbandry, nutrition, health management and sustainable farming practices.