NORTHERN made it a hat-trick of wins in this year’s Sydney Royal District Ex-hibits’ Competition, taking home the overall points title, best display and people’s choice awards.
The people’s choice award was introduced in 1991, and Royal Agricultural Society of NSW agriculture committee chairman Geoff Mason said this was the first time a court had won the “trifecta”.
In yet another year of close competition – again affected by drought – Northern scored 9103.48 points out of a possible 9990pts to win the overall tally and claim the H.C.M. See Memorial Award.
Western District came second in the overall tally with 9024.44pts, Central third on 9004.50pts, Southern fourth on 8990.47pts and South East Queensland fifth on 8986.61pts.
Northern also brought a halt to Central’s decade of domination in the wool section, with a final tally of 1089.63pts out of a possible 1230pts, just 7.36pts ahead of Central on 1082.27.
Northern’s wool is drawn from the Northern Tablelands between Tenterfield and Guyra.
“This has been a great achievement by Northern’s wool managers, Paul Lennon and Sam McLeod, both of Glen Innes – they did an outstanding job,” said Northern’s manager, Arthur Johns, Richmond Hill via Lismore.
Mr Johns said the court’s olives and olive products were “the best we’ve ever done”, while the sugar cane was “exceptional” quality considering the year.
“The region was too wet in 2013 and then has been very dry this year – we didn’t get rain until late March as we were getting ready to head to Sydney,” he said.
“It’s been dry across the region, particularly in our grain belt – the ‘golden triangle’ near Moree.
“We got no sorghum and when we went to collect cereals last November the region was looking the driest I’ve ever seen it in the 19 years I’ve been collecting grains for Northern.”
Mr Mason said the drought had taken its toll across many sections, in particular the cattle pumpkins, with much smaller entries and fewer of them.
“Where most years we receive pumpkins weighing up to 600 kilograms, this year they were closer to 300kg,” he said.
“Southern’s grains were the most affected by the drought due to a lack of spring rain.
“There were some good samples for the competition but you could see how the dry had impacted on the wheat in particular.”
However, Mr Mason said there were some really good entries in the oilseeds section, with a safflower entry from western the champion exhibit that had an exceptionally high oil content.
“The judges tested the sample a number of times to be sure of the result,” he said.
Among the highlights in the grain section was the champion barley, a sample of schooner from Parkes, which earned an almost perfect score of 98 points out of 100, while the best wheat achieved a score of 96/100
“The judges said the champion triticale, from Crooble, was one of the best they’d seen, scoring 95/100.
“The judges also had a rockmelon sample from Central they described as ‘to die for’.”
Mr Mason said the hams and bacon section continued to gain in strength, with three butchers from Wilberforce, Merriwa and Murgon, Queensland, who supplied exhibits, observing the judging this year.
Considering the past year, Mr Mason said the fodder section had been impressive.
The grasses section was won by Southern, with an entry by Graham Parr, Cobargo.
Southern also won the pastures legumes, with an entry from Peter Ubriehien, Bega.
Northern won the lucerne chaff with an entry by Morris and Christine Short, Ulmarra.
This was the third year mushrooms have been included, but only entered by Southern and Western.
Mr Mason said they were of “exceptional quality” and according to one of the judges, “as good as he’s ever seen”.
Muirfield High School, North Rocks, won the schools competition with a circus-themed take on agriculutre as “the greatest show on Earth”; Woodenbong Central School was second, and Menai High School, third.
