TEN of the nation's top wool classer graduates from 2018 put their skills to the test at Sydney Royal Show chasing the coveted golden stencil award.
It is the eighth year the best students from TAFE colleges throughout Australia have been invited to compete, and this year NSW was represented by seven, Victoria two and Tasmania one.
The competition is sponsored by the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX), TAFE NSW, the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and families of David Campbell and the late Dennis Teasdale.
AWEX wool classer registrar, Fiona Raleigh, said a classer's ability to make decisions in the woolshed for the wool grower is a critical part of their job.
"Wool classing is a skill which is an integral part of Australia's reputation for producing the best prepared wool in the world," she said.
Winner, Tahlia Delaney of Bethungra, trained under Ms Raleigh at Temora TAFE College and plans to continue wool classing to get more experience and hopes to branch out to wool broking or training.
Asked why wool classing, Miss Delaney said she loved wool. It's in her blood as her father was a shearer, as was his father and grandfather.
"A long generation of a shearing family, it's in my blood," she said.
Runner-up, Nicole Fragar, grew up on a wool-family farm at Tottenham and was trained by Frank Robert at Dubbo TAFE.
"We were originally with Merinos, but branched into Dohne sheep to produce fine wool and meat as well," she said.
"My grandfather was a classer and I just loved watching him work, and the classer we had taught me much about wool and clip preparation, so I chose this as my career."
Miss Fragar said she would continue working on Talgong, the family farm, helping with the daily running of the property.
Third placegetter, Corey Dolbey, Evandale, Tasmania, was trained at Tasmania TAFE by Evelyn Archer, and has worked in the industry for close to 23 years.
"Last year I decided to do my classing course and was nominated to come here for the competition, which is fantastic," he said.
"I have just recently been employed by the Australian Wool Network to be trained as a wool buyer."
Tahlia Delaney also was awarded the D.A.S Campbell Wool Classing prize commemorating the contribution of David Campbell to the wool industry as a buyer, representative and wool classer educator for more than 50 years.
As Ms Raleigh was Tahlia's trainer, she was presented the Dennis Teasdale Perpetual Trophy.
The trophy was initiated by AWEX and supported by the family in 2007 to commemorate the contribution to the wool industry of the late Dennis Teasdale.