VALUABLE RAMS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 88, 8 January 1935, Page 4

VALUABLE RAMS

Southdowns Imported BREED IMPROVEMENT Four notable examples of the Southdown breed of sheep arrived by the Monowai from Sydney yesterday afternoon. These rams have been purchased by New Zealand breeders from England, and have been undergoing the three months’ quarantine in Sydney necessitated by the New Zealand import regulations. Many prominent breeders inspected the rams in Sydney, and were much impressed by their quality. Two rams were for the well-known South Island breeder and sportsman, Mr. J. Grigg, of Longbeach, South Canterbury, with whom it will be remembered the Duke of Gloucester is to stay during his South Island itinerary. These are two rams from a pick of four of the whole of Lady Ludlow’s Luton Hoo flock. This flock was extremely successful at the British Royal Show, securing the majority of the Southdown awards and championships. . . The better of tihe two sheep, if it is possible to discriminate between such perfect specimens, is by a four-shear Luton Hoo ram out of a ten-year-old ewe. Considered the best, in the flock, she has been a prize-winner in her day and is the dam of many famous offspring. The other ram is also by a Luton Hoo prize-winning ram out of a top stud ewe. The name Sandringham occurs frequently in the pedigree of this sheep, as the sire' of the granddam is the famous Sandringham 76 of 1921, bred by the King. The remaining rams are for Messrs. IV. G. Ray and P, C. Hoban, of Te Awamutu, both being typical Southdowns with good heads and hams, one being from the flock of Lady Ludlow and the other from J. Pierpont Morgan’s Aldenham flock. This latter ram, incidentally, is by a Luton Hoo ram which Pierpont Morgan secured at a large figure from this stud in 1931.

The four sheep will be unloaded this morning and will be taken to quarantine on Somes Island. A breeder who saw them yesterday remarked that this consignment would surely do much to . improve the Southdpwn breed in the Dominion. The whole of the selection and shipping arrangements were in the hands of the stud stock department of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co,, Ltd. , ■