STOCK-STANDARD bread and butter wools growing on maiden Poll Merino flock ewes on “Norwood Park”, Tallimba, caught the eye of both judges among seven property visits during the 2018 West Wyalong Maiden Merino Ewe Competition last Friday.
Introductory judge, Jenni Turner, commended the presentation of the “extremely even line of sheep in fantastic condition” of John and Leanne Staniforth’s winning Norwood Park flock which had “fantastic butt shape, were long, deep bodied, moved freely, looked healthy and had great structure”.
Ms Turner, branch manager of Fox and Lillie Rural, Culcairn, and part-time wool classing teacher at Riverina TAFE, joined retiring judge, George Henderson, Grogansworth stud, Bowning, in praising the winners of the Eric Ford Memorial Trophy.
Mr Henderson said wool nourishment was good but he also liked the ewes’ big barrels and big “backsides”.
The Norwood Park flock won the competition in 2016 and had placed back to 2002. Mr Staniforth said his father, Noel, started the Poll Merino flock on Old Cobram bloodlines 45 years ago.
“When Bill Buttenshaw took over Laurel Park Poll stud we decided to go local and have been using their rams for 35 years,” he said. He classed the flock until Michael Elms, Narrandera, took over three years ago.
The flock micron average is 20.7 micron with the 2016 shearing figures of all sheep including culls the average cut was 6.8 kilograms.
Runner-up was last year’s winners, Andrew and Catherine Koop, “Winnora”, Girral, growing 19.45 micron and cutting 7.4kg fleeces in 2016 of Austral Eden blood and classed by John Johnston, West Wyalong.
Winning short wool flock for the second year running was the “East Yalgogrin” flock of Grant and Bec Kitto run in partnership with parents, Richard and Daph, at Tallimba.
This flock of 19 micron average was based originally on Severn Park blood and for the past five years on Richmond stud, is classed by Charlie Massy with a flock average wool cut of 6kg.
An encouragement award went to Jeff and Liz Gould, “Mon Repose”, Blowclear, who have been using Tasmanian Mt Vernon blood for 21 years and have the flock classed by Alison Rosewarne.
West Wyalong Sheep Breeders Association president, Graham Reid, said first-time entrant, Luke Doecke, “Dumphries”, Blowclear, who runs the farm with parents, John and Jan, was welcomed.
“The Weir family, ‘Elersmere’, Barmedman, also returned after a gap of close to 20 years,” he said.
