TOP SIRE 2026–2027 NSW FLOCK EWE COMPETITIONS Boorowa’s Matt McGrath has attributed his win at the ANZ and NSW SMBA Southern Tablelands Flock Ewe Championship to a timely switch to legumes during dry conditions. Driven by poor rainfall and a tight budget, choosing faba beans for stock feed proved a game-changing choice for Matt, who farms “Clear View South”. Matt emphasised that nutrition was the key to improving and maintaining quality across his flock. “We look after these as best we can and they look after us,” he said during the competition. “We run a Merino business and try to run it as simply as we can.” His dedication to improvement helped secure the McGrath family the 2026 competition’s top honours as well as the People’s Choice award. Wool growers across eight properties at Taralga, Golspie, Peelwood, Crooker Corner, Boorowa, Gunning and Biala opened their sheep yards to more than 50 attendees from across the region. The McGraths’ August 2024-drop flock were fed a mix of faba beans and on-farm grown feed to battle lamb and flock losses in 2025, with 1380 ewes joined and 850 lambs marked. “We crop about 100 hectares every year and everything sown needs to be able to feed sheep,” Matt said. “Last year, we also sold our wether lambs for the first time at 22kgs at 12 months of age.” Smart choices that meet market and weather conditions were celebrated by judges Malcolm Cox, Bocoble, Eumungerie, Blake Tremain-Cannon, Westray Park, Peak Hill, and associate judge Toby Elliot, Nutrien, Goulburn, who noted the visible nourishment in the McGrath flock and in the quality of their wool. “These are an outstanding mob of ewes. They have big, nice, kind heads and the strength flies through the rest of their bodies,” Malcolm commented. “They’re extremely good in the wool. The nourishment and feel of them is outstanding.” Blake noted the McGraths’ flock were “magnificent” and hard to be critical of. “There’s a lot to be said for simplicity. Professionals in anything do the fundamentals better than others,” he said. “If you get your fundamentals right, it’s a good building block where you can add to.” He acknowledged the quality of the flocks presented for judging and the important benefits of flock competitions socially and for self-improvement. “One of the great things about this competition is if you’re half competitive, you put yourself in a situation where you know it’s coming up, you’re a bit more accountable, consequently, people look after their stock better than what they may have,” he said. “There’s a high standard overall and these are a great reflection. Those who look after Merinos will be rewarded.” Murray Dymock, Dymock Agriculture, who placed second to the McGrath family in the Boorowa local competition, was awarded runner-up for his Royalla / Koonwarra-blood flock. Faba beans a game-changer for the McGrath’s ANZ Agribusiness and NSW SMBA Southern Tablelands Flock Ewe Championship Friday 20 March 2026 Photo caption. Matt and Danny McGrath, “Clear View South”, Boorowa, with their winning Tara Park-blood ewes. (Photo: Eliza Spencer, The Land) – 130 –
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