New Zealand’s best lamb

MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 21 November 2013
For immediate release

New Zealand’s best lamb

Canterbury farmer Mike Ryan has taken out the 2013 Mint Lamb Competition, producing the country’s best lamb from paddock to plate.

Farmers from throughout New Zealand were invited to showcase their quality lamb and compete in the competition that celebrates the quality and variety of lamb available in New Zealand with a focus on increasing consumption of one of the country’s largest export earners.

Lambs were judged on the hook at an Alliance plant for Best Overall Yield. The top 4 lambs in each class (dual purpose,
dual purpose/cross terminal, composite/crossbred cross terminal and terminal) were selected as semi-finalists and sent to be Tender Tested at Lincoln University. Based on the result of the Tender Test, the top 3 lambs in each class were selected as finalists. All finalists were Taste Tested at the 2013 Canterbury A&P Show to decide the overall winner of the Mint Lamb Competition.

The cuts of meat were cooked by leading New Zealand chef Graham Hawkes and taste tested in front of Show crowds. Judges included Ross Thomson (Alliance Group), Ed Marfell (Hazlett Rural Limited), Rebecca Barry (Novartis) and former Canterbury A&P Show Event Director, Rae Finlay.

Mike Ryan’s winning entry was a Coopdale Suffolk Cross. The Ryan’s run a hobby farm of 40 acres with 150 breeding ewes in West Melton. “We are thrilled with the result, it was our first year entering the competition and we never expected to come away with a win. I started a programme of breeding my own ewes a few years ago; it’s great to see that it is paying off” added Ryan.

The overall winner of the Mint Lamb Competition was awarded the Alliance Group Mint Lamb Trophy, $1000 and a 2.5 litre Zolvix & Novartis Back Pack and Spray Gun Applicator. Winners in each class were awarded 1st $300 and a Novartis Back Pack and Spray Gun Applicator, 2nd $150 and 3rd $100. The Agent/Drafter of the winning lamb received a boxed set of Gold Medal winning wine from the International Aromatic Wine Competition.

Overall Winner – Mike Ryan
Winning Drafter – Phil Manera, Hazlett Rural Limited

Class 1 - Dual Purpose/Wool Breed
1st Murray Smith, 2nd GP & KH Bell, 3rd Terry & Maria Bamford

Class 2 - Dual Purpose/Cross Terminal
1st Murray Smith, 2nd Chris Earl, 3rd CH & LR Ridgen

Class 3 - Composite/Crossbred Cross Terminal
1st GH Fulton, 2nd Mike Ryan, 3rd Chris & Julie Giller

Class 4 - Terminal
1st Sarah Rodie, 2nd Paul Gardner, 3rd Peter & Diana Divan

There was no entry fee for the competition; proceeds from the gift lambs will be credited to the Canterbury A&P Association to support the development of the Canterbury A&P Show.

-ENDS-

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