The 23rd Annual Bathurst Maiden Merino Ewe competition on Friday last week gave eight commercial producers from Bathurst across to the Central Tablelands an opportunity to have an experienced eye cast over their ewe flocks.
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Under return Judge Nigel Kerin, Kerin Poll Merino Stud, Yeoval and new judge Frank Kaveney, Murrumbateman, each entrant presented a line of 2015 drop maiden flock ewes to about 60 on-lookers but it was Wykes Partnership at Euchareena who took out the top gong of the 2017 winner.
The flock needed to be running on each entrants property for the past 12 months and were judged on five core characteristics of wool quality and quantity, conformation, trueness to type and growth and vigour.
Taking home the top placing, Jack Seaman Memorial Trophy, were the hands-on family enterprise of Peter, Margie, Murray and Brett Wykes, after both judges agreed the flock showed good fertility traits and progression.
Judge Frank Kaveney said the Wykes’s ewes presented a non-complicated frame with openness and nice muzzles.
“They are stretchy with good bone in the muzzle – they are good growing sheep and have a good up and go about them so I am sure they are pretty fertile,” he said.
On display were 80 per cent of the 705 head maiden ewe drop on Kerin bloodlines which the Wykes’s have sourced since 2010.
The December shorn maiden ewes measured a 19-micron-fleece in 2016 and had a wool cut of 6.35 kilograms per head.
In second place were Brian and Lynne Seaman, “Huntleigh”, Dunkeld, for their Roseville Park blood ewe flock.
Retaining 85 per cent of their 648 head 2015 ewe drop, in 2016 the flock measured a 6.2kg wool cut per head for the main fleece line and an 18.2 average micron.
Coming in third was Duncan Clowes, Millthorpe, who retained 77 per cent of his 130 head 2015 ewe drop.
Accessing a combination of genetics to reach his flock target, Mr Clowes utitlises his own bred ram genetics, as well as Nerstane, with the flock originally built on Cromarty bloodlines.
The main fleece line averaged a 18.5 micron-fleece in 2016 and a 5.5kg wool cut.
Sharing the event with his five children was Elders encouragement award winner, Steve Messner, Rock Forest.
The ewe flock carried a 19-micron-fleece including hogget ewes, with a 5.5kg average wool cut per head.
