AFTER two long days of judging last week, the finalists for this year's ANZ Agribusiness Crookwell flock ewe competition have been announced.
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Up to 120 people visited the 21 properties which had entered in the competition, with a bus full of producers and interested spectators travelling around for the two days, followed by a large convoy of cars.
The competition took in an area from Tuena and Bigga in the north, to Grabben Gullen and Biala in the south and all places in between.
Returning judge George Merriman, Merryville Merinos, Boorowa, and first-time Crookwell judge Ben Lane, pastoral manager at Windridge Farms, Young, had a tough job splitting the flocks, which ranged from superfine operations to those growing strong wools, along with having many different shearing times.
They praised the quality of the ewes on display, and Mr Merriman said he was able to see the improvement in the sheep from many flocks since he judged the competition last year.
For the first time competition organisers introduced two categories for judging this year - the traditional open class, for all sheep shorn before before September 1 2013, and a short wool class, for flocks shorn on or after September 1.
Four finalists were announced in each of the categories, who will display their top five ewes at the Crookwell Show on Sunday, March 9.
The winners of each cateogory will be announced at the show at 1pm.
Brendan Mansbridge
Livestock writer for The Land.
Livestock writer for The Land.
