FOR each of the past five years Ian and Lorraine Hills have been exhibiting Merino fleeces at Sydney Royal, just so they can see if their wools measurements have improved.
And each year they pick up dozens of prizes plus championships to be awarded most successful exhibitor on several occasions for the Leawarra produced fleeces grown at Guyra in the New England. This year was no exceptions with close to 30 fleeces the Hills gained 12 first prizes five second, eight thirds and two fourth placings, and like last year, were Most successful exhibitor.
Among their awards they were very pleased with was the champion Merino ram fleece in the Topmaking type wool open classes off a skirted superfine ram. This 18.1 micron fleece weighed 3.2 kilograms clean after yielding 80.6 per cent with a staple length of 77.6 millimetres.
But their most precious win was the Brian Devereux Memorial Prize for Skirted Fleece Superfine or finer Merino ewe of 14.6 micron and measuring 97mm.
Mrs Hills classes the flocks wool clip and is also a judge of preserves, jellies and jams in the District Exhibits at the show.
Their flock of 1800 commercial ewes run on 606 hectares is based on Deeargee blood from Uralla, when 25 years ago stopped crossbreeding and began their Merino enterprise.