Ewes shine despite wet weather at West Wyalong

A wet season had tested all four entrants in the competition on Friday with Matt and Wendy Goodwin, West Wyalong, finishing second, Daryl and Jo Kitto, Tallimba, third and encouragement going to Ian Bell, Tallimba.

Ewes were judged by Russell Jones, Darriwell, Trundle, and Emma Northey, Kikoira, along with associate judges Lindsay and Paige Brown, Beckom, and David Messner, Tallimba.

The three associated judges also awarded their choice to the Clarkes.

The winning ewes from the Clarkes were the youngest in the competition being July/August 2021 drop Merino ewes, One Oak blood, June shorn, with a wool score of 19.3 micron and yield of 72 per cent.

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The Clarkes run 1000 breeding ewes and in 2022 had an average cut per head of 6.5 kilograms.

Like all the entrants Mr Clarke said the season had been tough with the wet year.

"They haven't grown out like they were last year but everyone's in the same boat," he said.

Judge Emma Northey said the first thing she noticed was the sheep had a softer face.

"You can feel the softer skin and that carries right through with your wool types and is reflective of your yield as well," she said.

"You can feel they're a softer handling wool, soft to the touch, and you've got good lock structure.

"Considering how wet it has been they don't look washed out -I think they've held up very well."

Ms Northey said one thing she would like to see was more width in the brisket.

"I think by freeing up the width of the body as well you'll probably find that you'll pick up a bit more lambing percentage as well," she said.

"I would like to see a little bit more condition on the body but that is season. I think you've done a great job and they present well."

Judge Russell Jones said he first noticed the ewes are a very commercial flock with where the industry is today.

Mr Jones said the ewes were not as well finished as last year but the wet would have affected that with nutrition in the feed during that time not good enough for the lamb.

"I think that's what's happened because the wool qualities good, lock structure is generally good," he said.

"I'm thinking that the nutrition in the mother wasn't enough to give them what they had last year."

"A lot of merino breeding isn't just about what we do - it's about what happens to the sheep."

Mr Jones said overall they were a great mob of sheep.

"They're a great line of ewes, tremendous evenness and structure is good - it's purely everything that's happened with the rainfall," he said.

Associate judge Paige Brown said the ewes were an even type.

"They won't be your highest wool cutting but they'll still be really high and really good," she said.

"Really even in the staple length, very bright white and you can see they've grown out of that water."

Ms Brown said there was a bit of variation in the frame size, potentially due to the weather.

"Try and even that up and make them a bit broader so they're not as narrow through," she said.