Simon Burke from Burke & Smyth, Robert Carey and Max Douglas with the champion pen of lambs at the Tamworth spring lamb show.

BECTIVE lamb producer Robert Carey has taken out the prestigious Jason Goodwin Memorial Shield at Tamworth’s annual spring lamb show and feature sale yesterday with a pen of $300 lambs.

Mr Carey took out the title for his “hand-picked” pen of 70-76 kg January and July shorn Poll Dorset cross lambs. They were knocked down by Burke and Smyth agent Simon Burke to Fletcher International Exports for $300 with Mr Carey donating $300 to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

The annual spring lamb show is conducted at the Tamworth Regional Livestock Exchange in honour of industry ambassador and fellow auctioneer, Jason Goodwin, who passed away from a heart attack in 2008 at the age of 36. Agents award a shield for the grand champion pen of lambs in memory of their “great mate”.

Robert Carey’s champion pen of lambs at the 2018 Tamworth spring lamb show and sale

Mr Carey credited part of his success to Mr Burke’s advice to “get them big, really big” and he was elated to be in the esteemed company of previous title winners. The lambs has been finished with barley and hay. Mr Carey also thanked the sponsors for their support, particularly the Douglas Family from Abilene Park Poll Dorsets, whose rams sired many of the lambs.

After supporting the show since its inception 11 years ago, Mr Burke said there was no more deserving winner than Robert.

The trade lamb (45-49.5kg) category was won by Wheatacres through Davidson Cameron and Co. They made $278. The light weight (40-44.5kg) category was won by JA Livingston through Pitt Sons, and they made $159.

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Andrew Jackson from Thomas Foods International congratulated all vendors of the job they had done in such a dry season, encouraging them to produce lambs “as big as they can” next year.

New Tamworth lamb price record set

The sale also featured the setting of a new record price of $312 for lambs sold at the Tamworth Regional Livestock Exchange.

The record was set with 12 Poll Dorset cross lambs estimated at 78-86kg liveweight or 37.5kg dressed. They were sold by Pitt Sons for Gordon Campbell from Hallsville. The price eclipsed the previous record of $292 set by the Steiger family, Tarakan, Upper Manilla on 23 July. Mr Campbell also sold another 36 lambs at $308 — the second highest prices on the day – and another 110 lambs at $280. The entire consignment of 283 lambs averaged $267.

At the Tamworth saleyards yesterday, the National Livestock Reporting Service said the agents yarded 2000 lambs, 300 fewer than last week, and 2000 sheep, 1100 more.

The quality of lambs was very mixed, featuring a good supply of well-finished lambs in the trade weight and export weight classes. Most of the well-finished lambs had been supplementary fed.

There was a fair supply of secondary quality and plainer condition lambs that have had little access to extra feed. The usual buyers showed strong demand for all classes.

The increased demand led to further yard records being broken. All classes recorded dearer trends, with well-finished trade weight lambs selling $3-$6 dearer. The plainer condition trade lambs also experienced a dearer trend. Heavy weight lambs sold up to $6 dearer.

Prices for extra heavy weight lambs showed the greatest improvement. These recovered all losses experienced last week to be $25-plus dearer where quality improved.

The mixed condition penning of sheep had a few well-finished lines. The market trend was generally dearer. The greatest improvement was in the well-finished heavy weights, which gained $18 more in places where weights also improved.