Poll Merinos were significantly outnumbered by the horned entries in the Cox Pavilion but South Australian judge Joe Dahlitz and Western Australian judge Jeremy King were impressed with the quality of wool and heavy cutting ability of the nearly 40 sheep across the wool types.
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In the finest wool division, entries from Hillcreston Merinos, Bigga, won both grand champion and reserve ultrafine ram. "It is as good a 14-micron wool as you will see and the amount of wool that ram will cut for its micron is exceptional. The reserve was a carbon copy but just didn't have the production of the first one." Mr King said. A two-tooth ewe exhibited by Malcolm, Hayden and Bec Cox, Bocobole stud, Dubbo, was elevated to grand champion ultrafine ewe. "She has great purity and had the extra length of staple and extra production that I was looking for," Mr King said.
The superfine grand champion ram went to the Merriman family, Merryville stud, Boorowa - one of three grand champions for the stud in the polls. Mr King said their four-tooth, March-shorn was a standout for the "quality of wool over his wool cut" in the final lineup. For his superfine grand champion ewe, Mr King selected a 14.8-micron ewe, also a four-tooth, from Bocoble with a terrific wool test, including a 2.3-micron standard deviation, 15.5 per cent coeffient of variation and 99.9pc comfort factor. The Alcock family, Greenland stud, Bungarby, were awarded grand champion fine wool ram and fine-medium ewe. Yvette McKenzie and her father Eric, Grasmere stud, Bethungra, were rapt to back up their champion from their debut year at Sydney last year with the grand champion medium wool Poll Merino ram. Mr Dahlitz described the March-shorn as a "modern Poll Merino, with unbelievable staple length and white medium wool, a big tall sheep with great depth of body," he said. Mr Dahlitz also noted the grand champion strong wool ram, a March-shorn exhibited by John Bensley, Stillbrook stud, Crookwell, was a "hell of a wool cutter".
GRAND CHAMPIONS: Ultrafine wool ram: Sam, Ella and Murray Picker, Hillcreston, Bigga. Reserve: Hillcreston. Ultrafine wool ewe: Malcolm, Hayden and Bec Cox, Bocoble, Dubbo. Res: Hillcreston. Superfine wool ram: Merryville stud, Boorowa. Res: Bocoble. Superfine wool ewe: Bocoble. Res: Merryville. Fine wool ram: Greg, John and Jenny Alcock, Greenland, Bungarby. Res: Merryville. Fine wool ewe: Merryville. Res: Greenland. Fine-medium wool ram: Merryville. Fine-medium ewe: Greenland. Res: Merryville. Medium wool ram: Eric and Yvette McKenzie, Grasmere, Bethungra. Res: Greenland. Strong ram: Stillbrook, Crookwell.
