Tullamore Park, Donald, won Supreme Champion and the Tattykeel Perpetual Trophy with its ewe, while the stud was also awarded Supreme Champion Ram.

New Zealand judge Paul Gardner said it had been a very difficult competition to judge.

“The Supreme Champion ewe is very well balanced, she is very clean and she really does carry herself very well,” Mr Gardner said.

“I was very impressed with her, when she first came into the ring, right at the start.”

Tullamore Park’s Liz Russell said the success was down to breed selection.

She said the champion ewe and ram were sired by last year’s winner.

“I think it is just good genetic selection, the straight back line, trying to keep that meat on them, and clean heads and structure,” Ms Russell said.

The ewe, an August 2015 drop animal, weighed 82kg, had 11mm of fat and 41mm of eye muscle.

The ram recorded figures of 101kg, 6.5mm of fat and 46mm of eye muscle.

Gardner said the rams were “a lovely line up - there really is nothing between them, you have to nitpick the fine faults with them.”

In the same way, the ewes were also strong performers.

“This would be one of the nicest lineups of little girls I have seen for quite some time, there is not one sheep there, which is out of place,” he said.

“There is nothing between them, they are a very good line-up of ewe lambs, they are all deserved of being here, and any one of them could have taken it.

Mr Gardner said Texels were starting to make inroads into New Zealand, after first being introduced about 25 years ago.

“There are a lot of them being used in composite breeds now, so they are really making their way,” Mr Gardner said.

“The composities I am talking about are the strong woolled sheep, the Romneys and the Perendales, not so much the Merinos or Corriedales, don’t see it happening quite as widely, in Australia.”

But he said the Australian Texels were “right up there” with those from New Zealand.

“If I had known how difficult it was I might not have come over,” he quipped.