FOOTBALL and farming songs are among the additions to the feast of wool industry and community events at this year’s Sheepvention that kicks off on Sunday evening.
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A cocktail event and a parade of the wool fashions entered in this year’s Australasian Young Designer Wool Award will provide a glamorous start for Sheepvention on Sunday evening but Geelong footballer Tom Hawkins will do the official launch on Monday morning.
Mr Hawkins, who is from a wool and cropping property in Finley, NSW, is an ambassador for wool for Australian Wool Innovation.
He is part of the Fibre of Football campaign that celebrates the strong relationship farming has with the AFL.
This year’s rise in wool prices is expected to flow through to good prices at Sheepvention’s ram sale on Tuesday.
All rams entered in the Pen of Five Rams competition on Monday can be put up for auction at Tuesday’s ram sale.
Seventy three pens of five rams will go before the judges on Monday, with Merinos comprising 67 of the pens, Dohnes five and Corriedales one.
About 1000 sheep had been entered in Monday’s sheep show, which has White Suffolks as the feature breed. Coordinator Rosemary Langley said the 1000 entries was on par with previous years.
Winners in the sheep show's O. Lyle Walter breeds group awards will be announced from 3.30pm on Monday with those winners to compete in the inter-breed competition on Tuesday.
Sheepvention will also include the Coprice farm dog championship that will take place over three days from August 2-4. The farm dog competitions will start with the Australian Stockyard Company novice competition that will begin at 9:30am on Sunday, August 2.
The competition will begin a day before Sheepvention’s official start because of the high number of entries.
Farm dog competitions will continue throughout Sheepvention with competitors contending for the title of Cervus Encourage Farm Dog, and for the more experienced farm dogs, the Jurox Open Farm Dog Trial. This will culminate in the Coprice Champion Farm Dog Award.
Another popular feature of Sheepvention will be the Agri-Tech Inventions marquee. A range of inventions will be on display with an awards presentation at 2.30pm on Monday, August 3.
This will be followed by the Young Auctioneer competition at 3pm on Monday. Many competitors at Hamilton have gone on to contest national finals.
Another drawcard will be the South West TAFE and Australian UAV Drones in Agriculture demonstration at 11:30am on Tuesday. South West TAFE is also involved in butchery and cookery demonstrations at the Coles Taste of the Great South West marquee.
George The Farmer, a children’s book character, will be attending Sheepvention and delighting kids with his educational songs about farming. There will also be a George the Farmer Trail on which children can do activities such as sowing wheat.
