POSSIBLY the largest crowd of Merino enthusiasts this decade was attracted to the 2017 Midstate Merino field day yesterday at Dubbo TAFE Rural Campus reflecting the renewed interest in Merinos and wool production throughout the state.
Pens of top-performance rams representing the best available from the 17 stud members participating from around the central, western and Macquarie valley regions made up make-shift stud displays visited by spectators keen to inspect the proposed offerings at on-property sales at the coming 2017 Rabobank National Merino show and sale at Dubbo showground in the last week of August.
As well, there were hands-on sheep classing demonstrations by Australian Wool Innovation Sheep Industry Specialist, Stuart Hodgson, and guest speaker, Roger Fletcher of Fletcher International Exports, Dubbo.
Mr Fletchers said field days like this can only take the industry forward.
“Each stud here today is not competing against each other, but competing against other proteins and other fibres,” he said.
An 18.5 micron poll rams which had just broken it’s two teeth took out the 2017 Elders Premier Hogget Championship for breeders, the Jones family of Darriwell stud, Trundle.
The poll ram was sired by the $18,000 Poll Boonoke 3.0001 and weighed 118 kilograms.
Second placing went to another poll ram, but from the McBurnie family’s Weealla stud, Balladoran, Weealla 630 by the Claypans sire a member of Weealla’s 20`17 sale team growing 18.8 micron wool.
Third place went to a Merino ram from the Kopp family’s Towalba stud, Peak Hill.