By JODIE RINTOUL

FOR the first time in more than 30 yearsa Merino ewe has been sashed thesupreme exhibit at Wagin Woolorama.

Unlike the past few years when therehas been plenty of whispers in the shedabout a stand-out entry prior to judging,this year the betting sheet was wide openwith no clear cut favourite for thesupreme title.

With four very good sheep in thesupreme line-up at the end of the day,the judges had a hard task to pick out theoverall winnner but when they finallywent down to the finer points it was aMerino ewe from the Crosby family, StQuentin stud, Nyabing, which won out.

Not only was it a historic event in thatthe supreme champion was a ewe foronly the second time but the decisionalso meant the St Quentin stud wouldbecome a new name on the prestigiousWoolorama supreme winner honourrole.

The only other time a ewe has beensashed supreme was in 1981 when thefeat was achieved by the Karingal stud,Kondinin.

The unlucky exhibits to come upagainst the quality ewe were the grandchampion Merino ram exhibited by theEungai stud, Miling, the grand champi-on Poll Merino ram from the SeymourPark stud, Highbury and the grandchampion Poll Merino ewe from theWillemenup stud, Gnowangerup.

When the well-balanced two-toothewe was announced the unaminous win-ner judge Jono Merriman, Merrigneeand Koonwarra stud, Boorowa, NewSouth Wales, said the St Quentin ewedeserved to win.

“There was really nothing to fault heron, whereas the other three exhibits hadslight faults, which allowed us to knockthem out,” Mr Merriman said.

“As a top champion she stood outcompared to the rest.

“Her structure got her over the line

really early in the judging.“She also carries a quality, stylish wool

and is well-covered all over.“Added to this she is very feminine

through the head and shows good thick-ness.”

Fellow Eastern States judge WarrenMcRae, Oakbank stud, St Arnauld,Victoria, was also full of praise for the StQuentin ewe and said it was a greatwoolled sheep which stood up verysquare.

“She carries a soft-handling woolwhich will test very well and she alsoshows very good purity and is purearound the eyes,” Mr McRae said.

“She is very well made and really has asparkle in the wool.”

The ewe had shown all day it was aquality exhibit after it got through its ini-tial two-tooth medium wool class aheadof four other ewes, before going on to besashed the champion medium woolMerino ewe and grand championMerino ewe.

The ewe was sired by Pooginook 547.Standing in reserve to the St Quentin

ewe and being sashed the reserve grandchampion Merino ewe was a fine-medi-um wool ewe from the Angenup stud,Kojonup.

Mr Merriman said the Angenup ewewas a very stylish ewe and a crackingwool animal.

“She is very well covered and showsgreat style,” he said.

“She also has thickness through thebody.”

The two-tooth ewe, which was from asyndicate mating, started on its run tothe top after winning its class for two-tooth fine/medium wool Merino ewesahead of five other ewes.

From there it went on to be sashed thechampion fine/medium wool Merinoewe.

The Merino ram classes were just asopen as the ewe classes with no one put-ting their money on the line to back awinner.

But in the end it was a big, upstand-ing ram from the Eungai stud, Miling,which took top honours when it was

sashed the grand champion Merino ram.Judge Warren McRae said the Eungai

ram was a very square, big ram withgreat depth and width.

“He has a great outlook, a very goodhead and is well-structured,” he said.

“And in addition to this he carries agood soft, rich wool.

“He is just very productive and hardto fault.

Its rise to the top Merino ram rankingstarted when it won the four-tooth andover medium wool Merino ram classahead of six other rams and from there itwent on to be sashed the championmedium wool ram.

The big sirey ram was sired by EungaiJuddy 84 and when tested in springmeasured 19.8 micron.

Standing in reserve to the Eungai sireand being sashed the reserve grandchampion Merino ram was a rich-woolled ram from the Patterson family’sWoolkabin stud, Woodanilling.

Mr McRae said the Woolkabin ram

stood up very well and carried a rich,medium wool.

“He has a great soft muzzle and Ithink he will continue to grow on.”

The two-tooth ram, which was byWoodyarrup Nic, was also sashed thereserve champion medium wool Merinoram and won its class for two-toothmedium wool Merino rams ahead offour other rams.

The Rangeview stud, Darkan, exhib-ited both the champion superfine ramand champion superfine ewe.

Judge Jono Merriman said theRangeview champion ram had an eyecatching sirey outlook and a great head.

“He has a good structure and a goodwool to go with it,” Mr Merriman said.

“He has good style in his wool and isvery even throughout.”

The four-tooth ram won the champi-on ribbon after it finished ahead of sixother rams in the superfine ram class.

The champion superfine ewe fromRangeview was described by Mr

Merriman to be a well structured, reallybig, well-covered ewe.

“She shows good thickness and has avery good spring of rib,” he said.

Before taking the champion ribbon,the ewe won the superfine ewe classahead of eight other ewes.

Both animals were sired by RangeviewPizzle.

In the fine wool Merino ram champi-onship it was a ram from the Darijonstud, Narrogin, which shone throughand was sashed the champion.

Mr Merriman said the ram was long-bodied with a large frame and carried along-stapled, fine wool.

The ram earned the right to competefor the champion ribbon after it initiallywon the four-tooth and over fine woolclass in front of three other rams.

Standing in the reserve position andbeing sashed the reserve champion finewool Merino ram was a four-tooth ramfrom the Rangeview stud.

Mr Merriman said the Rangeview

Entries: 204 sheepExhibitors: 32Supreme: St Quentin stud,

NyabingGrand champion Merino ram:

Eungai stud, MilingReserve: Woolkabin stud,

WoodanillingGrand champion Poll Merino ram:

Seymour Park stud, HighburyReserve: Willemenup stud,

GnowangerupGrand champion Merino ewe:

St Quentin studReserve: Angenup stud, KojonupGrand champion Poll Merino ewe:

Willemenup stud Reserve: Willemenup studChampion two-tooth ram:

Seymour Park studChampion superfine wool ram:

Rangeview stud, DarkanChampion superfine wool ewe:

Rangeview studChampion fine wool Merino ram:

Darijon stud, NarroginReserve: Rangeview studChampion fine wool Poll Merino

ram: Westerdale stud,McAlinden

Reserve: Claypans stud, CorriginChampion fine wool Merino ewe:

Angenup stud Reserve: Rangeview studChampion fine wool Poll Merino

ewe: Auburn Valley stud,Williams

Reserve: Claypans studChampion fine/medium wool

Merino ram: Angenup stud Reserve: St Quentin studChampion fine/medium wool Poll

Merino ram: Willemenup stud Reserve: Seymour Park stud

Champion fine/medium woolMerino ewe: Angenup stud

Reserve: Navanvale stud, WilliamsChampion fine/medium wool Poll

Merino ewe: Claypans studReserve: Manunda stud, TamminChampion medium wool Merino

ram: Eungai stud Reserve: Woolkabin studChampion medium wool Poll

Merino ram: Seymour Park stud Reserve: Willemenup studChampion medium wool Merino

ewe: St Quentin stud Reserve: Angenup studChampion medium wool Poll

Merino ewe: Willemenup stud Reserve: Angenup studChampion strong wool Merino

ram: Kamballie stud, Yorkrakine Reserve: Eungai studChampion strong wool Poll Merino

ram: Willemenup stud Reserve: Auburn Valley studChampion strong wool Merino

ewe: Kamballie stud Reserve: Darijon studChampion strong wool Poll Merino

ewe: Willemenup stud Reserve: Manunda studChampion ram lamb: Belka Valley

stud, Bruce RockChampion ewe lamb: Woolkabin

studMost Points Open: Woolkabin studMost Points Merino: Angenup studMost Points Poll Merino:

Woolkabin studMost Points Ewes: Angenup studMost Points Sheep and Wool:

Shirlee Downs Poll Dorset andPrime SAMM stud, Quairading

Merino Exhibitor of the Year:Woolkabin stud

MERINOS

❐ The supreme Merino exhibit at this year's Wagin Woolorama was exhibited by the St Quentin stud, Nyabing.With the ewe, which was also sashed the grand champion Merino ewe and champion medium wool Merino ewe,were Robbie Crapella (left), St Quentin stud, judges Philip Gooding, East Mundalla stud, Tarin Rock, Jono Merriman,Merrignee and Koonwarra stud, Boorowa, New South Wales and Warren McRae, Oakbank stud, St Arnauld,Victoria and St Quentin stud co-principal Scott Crosby.

❐ With thegrandchampion andchampionmedium woolMerino ramexhibited by theEungai stud,Miling, wereJames McLagan(left), Eungaistud, Elders studstock managerTim Spicer,Eldersauctioneer DonMorgan, Eldersstud stockrepresentativeKevin Broadand PeterMcLagan,Eungai stud.

MERINO

St Quentin ewe wins supreme at Wagin

REVIEW22 Farm Weekly Thursday, March 14, 2013