LANCEFIELD local Andrew Lakin has had a dream week at the Royal Melbourne Show, securing two ribbons thanks to his sheep in the Suffolk and interbreed ewe categories.
The Allanwood Studs breeder is no stranger to success at the Show, having previously won the Suffolk ewe category in 2022, but scored interbreed success for the first time in 2025.
The result ensured Mitchell Shire’s dominance in the Suffolk categories in 2025, with the Sayla Park Suffolk stud winning the supreme breed title at the Show.
Mr Lakin said it was a dream result borne out of hard work.
“It was fantastic to land a major award. You always dream of trying to get to the pinnacle of it. It was a bit of a surprise, but good to get the recognition of the hard work over the years,” he said.
“It’s great for all the time and effort you put in. I’ve been breeding Suffolks for 21 years, starting when I was eight. It’s great to be recognised by various judges across Australia, and even one from England over at Melbourne, which was good to get their feedback on our sheep too.”
Mr Lakin is most definitely no stranger to the Melbourne Show, having been there from the start of his life.
The Allanwood Stud has also had previous success with Clydesdale horses in 2024, ensuring there was plenty to celebrate once again this year.
“I haven’t missed a Royal Melbourne Show realistically. Being with horses or with the sheep, it’s good for the Lancefield area,” Mr Lakin said.
The continued success Mr Lakin has achieved is opening up potential opportunities elsewhere for him to display his sheep across the country, revealing it is something he is considering going forward.
“There are a few shows we’re looking at to maybe take a few sheep to next year, whether we go to a couple of interstate shows. I think that would be good to go to, to compare our sheep to others from other states and see how we go,” he said.
“It’s been good for the past eight or nine years, having interest from New Zealand, and having a bit of recognition outside of Australia.”
