Year 10 agriculture students Jasmin Reddy, Lucy Kinnane, Ashlee Meyer, Jamie Hall, Seamus Chapman, Robert Oprey, Jasmin Faller, Claudia Hahnel and Henry McAuliffe with the Merino wethers.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
The best of Victoria’s wethers will be determined on Wednesday, and the reigning Shepparton champions are lining up again, determined to defend their crown.
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Greater Shepparton Secondary College Year 10 agricultural and horticultural students have been rearing six Merino wethers for the past six months.
Arriving at the secondary school’s purpose-built sheepyards as eight-month-old lambs, the sheep — named Shank, Lucifer, Chops, Rhino, Horny and Ethan — have all gained more than 20kg of body weight.
Ten students, decided by a ballot of 27 from the 100 students enrolled in the agricultural class who wanted to go, will board a bus to the 2025 Victorian Merino Wether Challenge in Clunes on August 27.
Year 10 students Claudia Hahnel and Ashlee Meyer with one of the sheep their class has been taking care of.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
They will compete against 15 other school teams from across the state.
A sponsors’ event was held at the school on August 20, where the sheep were paraded and senior agricultural and horticultural teacher Charlotte Drinnan thanked individuals and businesses who provided support — from feed and bedding, to stock weighing, cartage and transport — throughout the past six months.
Year 10 student Tayla Donnelly said it had been a group effort by two classes to look after all of the sheep, but each student had their favourite.
Hers is Shank.
“He was a bit of a challenge in the beginning; he didn’t like being led or taking food from people,” Tayla said, as she watched a crowd gather near her favoured Merino.
“But he’s come a long way. Now he can be held and stand there while there are lots of people around.”
Ashlee Meyer and Claudia Hahnel, also Year 10 students, named Shank after what he might be destined to become when the competition is over.
The Victorian Merino Wether Challenge was held for the first time in 2024.
The haul of certificates, ribbons and trophies the students returned to school with last year.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Eleven schools competed, with GSSC winning Best Presented Group, Second Carcass Value and Overall Champion, bringing back to the school three ribbons and two trophies, one a perpetual trophy the school hopes to hold on to for another year.
“We will be highly competitive,” Ms Drinnan said. “But there’s no certainty; we’ll just do our best.”
Students also keep chooks, rear baby chicks and grow vegetables, and will welcome two dairy cows in the coming weeks at the school.
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