Countegany Station claims second grand champion fleece at Sydney Royal

Mary Goodwin, of Countegany Station near Cooma, won grand champion fleece on a total of 94.5 points out of a possible 100.

Ms Goodwin said her and her husband Tony only had about 80 sheep remaining as they gradually downsized their Adina-blood flock, with the grand fleece being Mrs Goodwin's entry.

This followed her reserve champion win last year.

The entry was from the superfine Merino skirted fleece, either ewe or wether class, and tested 17.8-micron fibre diameter, 2.5 per cent standard deviation, coefficient of variation at 14.2pc and comfort factor of 99.6pc.

The fleece also measured 104 millimetres staple length, greasy fleece weight (GFW) of 6.8 kilograms and 77.1pc yield.

Judge Andrew Blanch, Renewable Fibres, Sydney, said the grand champion fleece stood out for a lot things, not least being a heavy fleece at just 17.8 microns.

"It backed that up up with the style, very well defined crimp on a very sound fleece, very bright, even colour and no faults - even the back of the fleece was sound and stylish and bright," Mr Blanch said.

"It just sort of sparkled as a fleece."

The reserve grand champion fleece went to an exhibit by Grathlyn Merinos, Hargraves, from the skirted ultrafine class.

It scored 94 points and also won the housed and rugged section.

The 16.5-micron fleece had 2.4pc SD, 14.7pc CV, and 99.8pc CF.

It had a GFW of 6.9kg and 72.5pc yield.

The best in quality and style special class, which was for superfine or finer skirted fleeces from either a ram, ewe, or wether, was won by DL and MI Croake, Rhylstone, with a score of 96.

The Croakes also won the other special class in the Brian Devereux Memorial Perpetual Prize, which judged fleeces on quality, softness of handling and spinning ability.

Their fleece scored 94 points.

The RAS/Ag Shows NSW Country Show Champions Class was won by P, K and A Johnson, Gunning, after they exhibited at the Gunning Pastoral Agricultural and Industrial Society Inc.

The fleece, which scored 91.5 points, was 16.8 micron with 6.4kg GFW and 83.6pc yield.

The Merino district exhibits champion fleece was won by an entry from Paul Pittman of Glenburnie Merinos, Walcha.

The fleece scored 93 points and came through the ultrafine skirted fleece section.

Mr Blanch said Mr Pittman typically produced a "very nice clip" that goes to Italy and this fleece was along these lines.

He said the district exhibits champion was a fine crimping, bright and stylish fleece that was sound with good weight which gave it a good top and noil and would therefore suit a top-end men's suiting line.

The fleece was 17 micron with 5.5kg GFW and 78.3pc yield.

The entry was shorn from from Mr Pittman's 5000 head flock, which includes about 2500 ewes.

The most successful Merino fleece exhibitor was awarded to Moray Pastoral Company, Guyra, which collected 73 points.

The Moray flock has been mainly influenced by Deeargee Merinos, Uralla, for the past decade.

Owner James Stewart said he runs a 1500-ewe flock, plus about 700 wethers and replacements.

This was the first most successful award for Mr Stewart, however, had last year also won supreme fleece of the show.

The district crossbred section was won by Sam Mcleod, Springfield, Ben Lomond, on a score of 72.5.

The 31.3-micron fleece came from the fine skirted crossbred class and had a GFW of 5.5kg and 80.1pc yield.

Champion Corriedale fleece went to a skirted exhibit from Badgally stud, St Gregory's College, Campbelltown, with 77 points.