The Carruthers family from Millbank, Tullibigeal, have taken out first place at the 24th annual Lake Cargelligo Maiden Merino Ewe Competition last Friday.
Eight competitors from Naradhan, Rankin Springs, Weethalle, Gubbata, Kikoira, Ungarie and Tullibigeal took part, with all ewes presented in excellent condition despite almost a month of high temperatures well into the mid 40 degrees, continual dust storms blowing through the district and full supplement feeding of stock over the past two years.
Tullibigeal locals Barry and Jarrod Carruthers and family, rose to the top of the competition with their flock of 20 micron One Oak Poll Merino ewes that the judges regarded as being very bloomy and high crimping wools.
Landmark Merino sheep specialist Stephen Chalmers, Wagga Wagga, and Allan ‘Smoke” Dawson from Winyar Merino stud, Canowindra, were the judges on the day.
“They are large framed sheep with a good butt shape for easy lambing and fertility,” they said.
“These ewes had a good finish and great coverage which would go on to be very heavy wool cutting ewes.”
The Carruthers family has a 91 per cent lambing percentage, and produce an average of 8.5 kilogram of wool per sheep. Their yield is 58pc and the ewes had 10 months of wool growth on them.
Michael Elmers classed the ewes and culled 34.3pc of young ewe lambs to give an average gross margin of $247 per ewe.
Second place was awarded to the Rossiter family from Youngara Partnership, Youngara, Ungarie, with their 19.8 micron Haddon Rig bloodline ewes.
The judges commented that the Youngara ewes has nice wool with good lock structure and bloom.
“These ewes are handling the drought very weell and show a type all the way through the flock,” Mr Chalmers and Mr Dawson said.
They were also regarded as being very feminine ewes with a high lambing percentage of 118pc and a wool cut that averaged 7.8kg per ewe at 66.2pc yield.
Youngara sheep are classed by Paul Kelly who culled 41pc of their ewe lambs to provide a healthy averaged gross margin of $294 per ewe.
The Rossiter family of Youngara were also awarded the People’s Choice award.
Justin and Natalie McCarten, Glen Echo, Rankin Springs, placed third with their flock of 20 micron ewes of One Oak bloodlines.
The judges said the wool displayed cut and handling in drought and dusty conditions.
“The body shape was very good with a good finish of wool all over each ewe,” they said.
The McCarten ewes had a lambing percentage of 112pc which enabled a culling rate of 32 pc.
Taking advantage of the good wool length their ewes grow, the McCartens shear at less than 12 month intervals with the ewes in the competitions cutting 5.8kg after 10 months.
The ewes, classed by Michael Elmers, yielded 59pc and gave an averaged gross margin of $261 per ewe.
Maree Stockman, Forest Lodge, Gubbata, received the encouragement award for continual improvement of her 19.2 micron flock of Lachlan blood Merinos.
Peter and Meegan McCarten from McCarten Farms, Nargoon, Rankin Springs, were awarded the most profitable award of the competition for their flock of Wanganelle blood ewes that had an averaged gross margin of $307 per head for wool and stock sales using standardised figures for wool (price that week) and lamb price of $150 per head.
