A leading figure in the world of performance recording has been honoured by industry

Victorian Merino identity Phil Toland was awarded an honorary life member of the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders at the weekend.

Victorian Merino identity Phil Toland of Toland Poll at Violet Town – who was instrumental in bringing some objective measurement into major sheep shows, also known as all purpose classes – was awarded an honorary life member of the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders at the weekend.

Mr Toland said the recognition, announced at the Australian Sheep and Wool show in Bendigo, caught him by surprise.

“It took me a minute,” he said, to process what had happened. 

“It was a bit of a knock out.”

Phil Toland.

He said the addition of objective measurements, in the show ring and more broadly, had added to the overall improvement in Merino breeding and the ability of sheep producers to produce both meat and wool products from their animals.

“We brought in the all purpose class in which has 50 per cent on objective measure of the fibre and of the carcass, which started about 20 years ago,” Mr Toland said.

“The standard has since come up tremendously, it has given the Merinos another string to their bow.

“We now make more money out of selling sheep (for slaughter) than growing wool.”

Mr Toland has said the greater demand for Australian sheepmeat and lamb “saved the day for Merino producers”.

“Some of the (wool growing) purists don’t like to take that on but it's a fact that you need to maximise that if you’re to stay in business,” he said.

While the both the supreme ram and ewe exhibits at the show came from studs that do not performance record, Mr Toland said there was “a place for all”.

“We have to take the mentality that we all have to breed better Merinos, but there are lots of different ways of doing that.”

Mr Toland said he was enjoying his new career of “jackaroo”, after handing the stud business over to the next generation, five years ago.