Wool talk
IT was a case of a golden fleece for a golden year for Bruce and Carol Edmonds' Glen-Byrne stud, Calingiri, at this year's IGA Perth Royal Show wool awards. In their 50th year of Merino stud breeding but just their third year exhibiting wool at Perth the couple made it back-to-back success claiming the supreme fleece award for the second successive year ahead of 195 other entries.
While last year's fleece was off a young ewe from their Mannalea line, this year's show topper was also from a young ewe but this time from the stud's own Glen-Byrne line.
Mr Edmonds said they had selected a starting team of 18 orange tag ewes to house which had been whittled down to 12 with help from local Landmark wool and livestock agent Grant Lupton.
The supreme fleece, which was also judged grand champion ewe or wether fleece and champion fine fleece, tested 19.6 micron, 14.3 CV, 8.3kg greasy fleece weight, 75 per cent yield, 99.8pc comfort factor and 132mm staple length and scored 95 out of 100 points.
"This ewe was by a Nepowie sire out of a homebred dam," Mr Edmonds said.
Glen-Byrne also was awarded the reserve champion ewe or wether fleece and champion superfine fleece ribbons, again from a young ewe, which tested 17.4 micron, 15.5 CV, 7.6kg GFW, 70.2pc yield, 99.8pc CF and 118mm length to score 94 points.
With broad ribbons coming in trifectas the stud's other category championship was for the champion strong wool fleece which amassed 92 points with figures of 23.5 micron, 13.2CV, 9.4kg GFW, 75.4pc yield, 98.4pc CF and 142mm.
Mr Edmonds said preparing the sheep had been a family effort with his wife Carol and 11-year-old twins Jackson and Joseph the chief feeders.
High points scoring was a feature of this year's wool section with judges applauding the quality resulting in more than 30 of the 196 entries scoring higher than 90 points and only six points separating the top 30 fleeces.
Like the Edmonds two years ago, Clinton Blight, Seymour Park stud, Narrogin, this year made a Perth Royal Show debut of note exhibiting the grand champion and reserve grand champion ram fleeces.
The grand champion, which was also the champion medium fleece of the show, tested 21.6 micron, 17.1 CV, 9.7kg GFW, 75.9pc yield, 98.7pc CF and 132mm length to score 93 points.
The fleece was off a Shahs blood Seymour Park ram judged champion medium wool Poll Merino ram at the 2012 Williams Gateway Expo and reserve champion Poll Merino ram at Wagin Woolorama and Katanning also in 2012.
The reserve fleece was off a Coromandel Sir Thomas son judged grand champion Poll Merino ram at Williams and reserve grand champion Poll Merino ram at Wagin.
Mr Blight said he had previously only shown wool at his local Narrogin Show and was happy to see Poll genetics coming to the fore in the wool competition.
"We've always bred for deep crimping, elite type wools and shear every eight months to get maximum production and maximum value from our flock," Mr Blight said.
"Polls are often thought of as big, quick maturers and behind horned rams for wool quality, but we'd like to show otherwise."
Keeping their Auburn Valley stud name to the fore in wool circles the Rintoul family, Williams, were awarded the champion pair of fleeces sash for fleeces off stud show ewes, both by Coromandel Sir Thomas and one of which was reserve champion fine-medium wool ewe at Wagin and Katanning in 2012.
The fleeces tested 21.2 micron, 14.2 CV, 14.5kg GFW, 73.9pc yield, 99.2pc CF and 128mm length and scored 94 points.
Others to reign in the wool section included WA College of Agriculture, Harvey, with its Tilba Tilba blood genetics awarded grand champion farmers fleece, champion farmers ewe or wether fleece and champion ultrafine fleece of the show.
Compatriots WA College of Agriculture, Denmark, won reserve grand champion farmers fleece, reserve champion farmers ewe or wether fleece and grand champion Corriedale fleece.
Geoff and Flo Pearce, Tenterden, were encouraged to enter their Brickhouse and Woodyarrup bloodline wool by their agent Tim Chapman, Primaries and it paid dividends with them winning best commercial fleece for a 6.9kg beauty valued at $7.96/kg and $54.92.
Ted and Bev Hill, West River, were again in the winner's circle claiming reserve champion farmer's ram fleece and most points in the wool section.
Joseph Cook won the champion farmers ram fleece category.
Source: farmonline.com.au