Daniel, Erin and Bruce Fitzell of Flowerburn, Peelwood, were crowned overall Crookwell Flock Ewe Competition winners earlier this month.
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It was the first time the Fitzell family had won the top prize when they went up against 11 other district producers, with their line of 403 September-2022 drop maiden ewes shorn on August 11, 2023.
They run the maiden flock of 403 head, with about 6000 in total, including wethers and first-cross lambs on 1400 hectares.
The flock carries predominantly Langdene bloodlines with some Hollowmount, Homesville and Cottage Park blood.
Additionally, they run a self-replacing Shorthorn herd of 150 breeding cows.
"We try to breed soft handling, bright white, well-nourished, long-stapled wool with weight, good crimp and good lock structure," Daniel Fitzell said.
"We like our sheep to have long, deep, thick bodies with open faces and be structurally sound."
On average, the flock ewes had a 17.5-micron fleece.
Flowerburn's ewes cut 6.4 kilograms of wool per head at 12 months, while the lambs cut 3.8kg at 10 months, which Mr Fitzell said was "a bit down on previous years".
The flock achieved a 106 per cent lambing average on joined ewes in the September 2023 drop.
Mr Fitzell attributed this year's success in the competition to consistency across the flock.
"They were very even in type, and the wool had an even crimp and was white," he said
"With the dryer spring, fewer grass seeds were getting in the wool, which helped."
Mr Fitzell said the Peelwood property, which usually records an average annual rainfall of 675 millimetres, had experienced an unusual season.
"It was wet early in the year, then dry through winter and spring, then we had a wet end to 2023 and an even wetter start to 2024," he said.
"All in all, it's been a good season. In fact, it's turned out totally the opposite of what was predicted."
The judges were David Motley, Gerar Station, Nyngan, and Jayne Lette, Conrayn Merino Stud, Berridale.
"Overall, they were very consistent; they were well-covered, the wools were bright and soft," Mr Motley said.
"I remember they were right up the top of the sheep last year.
"Commercially, they were good producers of high-quality, bright wool, which from a commercial point of view is what we are trying to do - fill bales."
Along with the top prize, the Fitzell family also won the long wool section, with Tony and Natalie Hewitt, Galmara, Grabben Gullen, in second place, Brad and Maria Cartwright, Kempton, Laggan, in third place, and David Culley and Family, Woodbine Park, Crookwell, in fourth place.
The spring shorn section was won by Matt Nagle, Wongaburra, Binda, with Gavin and Caspar McDonald, Aberdeen, Laggan, taking second place, Shannon Arnall, Carinya, Laggan, in third place, and Graeme and Diane Hewitt, Wongalea, Binda, in fourth place.
The Hewitts also took out the AWN Future Development Award.
"It's an awesome competition; I was certainly made very welcome, and they entrusted me as a commercial judge," Mr Motley said.
"It was an eye-opener for me to visit different country, and the sheep were good.
"Hopefully, it's a learning process for us all as a group; I think they're doing a wonderful job.
"It was a great couple of days."
Hayley Warden
Hayley Warden is a digital journalist with ACM Agri based on the NSW South Coast.
Hayley Warden is a digital journalist with ACM Agri based on the NSW South Coast.
