NIMMITABEL’S Jerod Blyton has won the Sydney Royal Merino Fleece Young Judges Competition.
The 19-year-old out-competed 19 other young judges to take the grand champion ribbon.
“I’m very surprised I won, actually. The time pressure was really intense as we only had three minutes to judge each fleece,” Jerod said.
Having grown up on a sheep producing property, “Hill Farm”, Nimmitabel, Jerod is passionate about the wool industry.
His love for Merinos stems from his association with his grandfather’s Merino stud, Skyline.
Jerod is thinking about pursing a career in the wool industry and following his win has $500 in his pocket to spend on a study tour of his choice thanks to the competition’s sponsor Schute Bell Badgery Lumby.
Right now he’s studying politics and international relations at the University of Canberra.
The reserve champion in the competition was Sarah Townsend. In third place was Emma Jane Lovell, fourth was Christopher Bowler and fifth was Jack Mayhew.
Judge Chris McDonnell, a woolgrower and classer from Gundagai, was extremely impressed with the quality of the competitors and encouraged them all to pursue a career in the wool industry.
Jerod said he appreciated Chris teaching the competitors technical classing tips, in particular, his explanation on the attributes which make a fleece true to its type.
