Supreme Williams effort by Navanvale

But on Saturday afternoon at the Make Smoking History Williams Gateway Expo an equally impressive team performance from the Hogg family's Navanvale stud, Williams, saw it dominate the Merino judging and take home both the top ram and ewe honours.

Leading the charge for the stud's small team with a best-on-ground performance and possessing all the traits of a champion was an upstanding Merino sire.

The classy sire was the judges' pick as well as many onlookers in the crowd all day due to its presence, structure and wool quality and it was no surprise when it was announced the supreme champion.

The medium wool ram attracted the judges' eyes early in the day and made its presence felt in the ring like Eagles player Andrew Gaff did at Domain Stadium on Friday night as an exhibit not to be overlooked for the day's top award.

However the Navanvale sire didn't have it all its own way and before being sashed the supreme exhibit of the show it had to overcome 129 entries from 22 other studs.

Pushing it right to the end in the supreme contest was a teammate from the stud a classy, well-put together Merino ewe, which was sashed the champion ewe of show and prior to that it was the grand champion Poll Merino ram from the Westerdale stud, McAlinden.

When the two Navanvale exhibits lined up for the final quarter of the day - the supreme judging - it marked the second time in three years the stud had won both the top ram and ewe awards at the Expo and consequently the supreme ribbon.

The last time was in 2014.

When announcing the Expo's supreme champion judge Robert Plush, Kerrsville stud, Hamilton, Victoria, said the Navanvale ram and ewe were excellent exhibits and a credit to the Hogg family but in the end the judges just couldn't go past the ram.

"He was a clear winner over the ewe and a standout sheep in the show," Mr Plush said.

"He is a magnificent, well-balanced ram with a great outlook and wool quality.

"He really is an elite-woolled sheep.

"He is carrying a soft, white, stylish, crimpy wool from head to toe and is also very even all over in the wool.

"Structurally he is very sound and has good scale, a great spring of rib, a long, soft muzzle and a great horn set.

"We just couldn't go past him."

Also full of praise for the Navanvale ram was fellow judge James Scanlon, Arthur River.

"He is a big upstanding ram with excellent structure," he said.

"He has a good topline, depth of body and length.

"In addition to his outlook he carries a soft, lustrous, white wool right down to his points and is very even in wool coverage all over.

"He is an uncomplicated ram with a presence about him."

The upstanding, four-tooth ram is a son of Navanvale Wally, which the stud sold to the High Valley stud, Tarin Rock, at the 2014 Rabobank Katanning Show and Sale for $16,250.

Along with taking home the top award, the ram was also sashed the champion ram of show when it outclassed the grand champion Poll Merino ram exhibited by the Westerdale stud.

It was also sashed the grand champion Merino ram and champion medium wool Merino ram.

The ram was no stranger to the fuss created when a broad ribbon is given out as it was sashed the reserve grand champion and reserve champion medium wool Merino ram at this year's Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama.

The ram earned the right to compete in the championships after initially winning its class for medium wool Merino rams any age in front of four other rams.

Standing in reserve to the Navanvale sire and being sashed the reserve grand champion Merino ram was a superfine exhibit from the Rintoul family's Tilba Tilba stud, Williams.

Mr Scanlon said the Tilba Tilba ram was a big, upstanding superfine type.

"In addition to his size he is also uniform in his wool quality right over," Mr Scanlon said.

"He is a true-to-type superfine with a top, white wool."

The Tilba Tilba ram earned the chance to compete for the grand champion title after being sashed the champion superfine wool Merino ram and winning its class for superfine Merino rams of any age in front of three other exhibits.

At this point Mr Plush said the ram was well-covered and had a beautiful spring of rib.

"It also carries a good, long-stapled superfine wool all over," he said.

The four-tooth ram was from the stud's purple family and was also sashed the champion superfine wool Merino ram at Woolorama.

Taking top ewe honours for the Hogg family and helping it take home the champion ewe of show award for a third year running was an impressive medium wool exhibit.

When the ewe was sashed the champion ewe of show, judge Nathan Teakle, Walkindyer stud, North- ampton, said the Navanvale ewe was beautifully balanced and fault free.

"She is not only well put together but she also carries a very white, bright, lustrous, crimpy wool which impresses," he said.

"She was a unaminous winner."

The classy exhibit was also sashed the grand champion and champion medium wool Merino ewe.

At this point Mr Scanlon said the ewe had good scale and frame plus a top quality wool.

"She is a good long-bodied ewe with top growth," he said.

"Her wool is impressive, it is white, bright and lustrous."

The ewe's winning run started when it won the medium wool Merino ewe class for ewes any age in front of five other ewes.

The four-tooth ET-bred ewe is by Roseville Park 46 and out of Navanvale 3410, which was also the mother of Navanvale Frank that was sashed the supreme exhibit at the 2014 Wagin Woolorama and Williams Gateway Expo.

The ewe is a full sister to the stud's grand champion Merino ewe from last year's Expo.

Navanvale's dominant performance in the ring continued when a second ewe from the stud, which was nearly identical to the champion, was sashed the reserve grand champion Merino ewe.

Mr Scanlon said the resereve grand champion ewe was very similar to the champion and he found it hard to split the two Navanvale ewes in their first class.

"They were both excellent ewes," he said.

"This ewe was just slightly behind as she just lacked a bit of scale and growth compared to the grand champion.

"However she has an equally impressive soft, white medium wool all over.

"They are really carbon copies of one another."

The four-tooth ewe earned the right to stand out in the grand champion line-up after it stood second to its teammate throughout day.

It placed second in their medium wool Merino class for ewes of any age and was sashed the reserve champion medium wool Merino ewe.

The ET-bred ewe, which was sashed the grand champion ewe at Woolorama, was by Banavie Dan and out of Navanvale 33.

With the champion ram and ewe of show it was no surprise the Navanvale stud took home the champion pair award with the two exhibits to round out its dominant day in the ring.

The Navanvale pair beat six other pairs to the champion ribbon.

Mr Teakle said the Navanvale pair were extremely similar in both frame and wool quality.

"They both have beautiful, bold, white, crimpy wools from head to toe," he said.

"They are also both pure in the muzzle and fault free.

"They were clear winners."

Second in the pair class went to the Tilba Tilba stud and the Angenp stud, Kojonup, finished third.

In the superfine section the champion ewe ribbon went to a ewe from the Tilba Tilba stud.

Mr Plush said the Tilba Tilba ewe showed great spring of rib, good staple length and was well covered.

The two-tooth ewe was from the stud's yellow tag family.

The reserve champion superfine Merino ewe was exhibited by the Rangeview stud, Darkan.

The two ewes placed first and second in the superfine Merino or Poll Merino ewe class for ewes any age.

The reserve champion superfine ram ribbon was won by the Mallibee stud, Wannamal, with a four-tooth ram by a Roseville Park sire.

Mr Plush said the Mallibee ram was a well put-together ram with a soft, white wool.

In the fine wool section it was the King family's Rangeview stud which came out on top exhibiting both the champion fine wool Merino ram and ewe.

Mr Plush said the champion ram showed great doing ability and a superb spring of rib.

"He also has a top fine wool and a great finish," he said.

The four-tooth ram, which was sired by Rangeview 55, earned the right to the champion ribbon after winning its class for fine wool Merino rams of any age in front of four other sires.

When it came to the champion ewe exhibited by Rangeview, Mr Plush said it showed outstanding size for its type.

"She is a big ewe with a top fine wool from head to toe," he said.

The four-tooth ewe, which was also sashed the champion fine wool Merino ewe at Woolorama, was by Rangeview Pizzle.

Standing in reserve on both occasions to the Rangeview stud and taking home the reserve champion fine wool Merino ewe and ram ribbons was the Tilba Tilba stud.

Both were four-tooth exhibits, the ram was from the stud's purple family, while the ewe was from its white family.

Taking top honours in the fine-medium wool championships was the Angenup stud, when it took home the champion fine-medium wool Merino ram and ewe ribbons.

When sashing the Angenup ram the champion, Mr Scanlon said it was a clear winner due to its beautiful, soft, lustrous, white wool.

The four-tooth ram, which carried Angenup Franklin bloodlines and was from a syndicate mating, was the champion two-tooth ram at Woolorama, earned the right to the champion ribbon after winning the fine-medium wool Merino ram class for rams any age.

Mr Scanlon said Angenup's champion ewe was a well-balanced ewe with a long-stapled, quality, white wool.

The four-tooth ewe was out a syndicate mating.

The reserve champion fine-medium wool Merino ram was exhibited by the Glen Donald stud, Nhill, Victoria.

Mr Scanlon said the Glen Donald ram was a good, bulky cutter.

The Angenup stud also exhibited the reserve champion medium wool Merino ram.

When sashing it the reserve champion Mr Scanlon said it was unlucky to come up against such a top quality ram in the Navanvale sire, which went on to be sashed supreme exhibit.

"It is a top ram with a very good, soft, lustrous, white wool," he said.

The four-tooth ram, which was the supreme exhibit at Woolorama, was by Mianelup Elliot.

In the strong wool section the champion ram ribbon went to another impressive sire from the Angenup stud.

Mr Teakle said the ram's deep barrel and beautiful, white wool put it in the top position.

The four-tooth ram was by a Woodyarrup sire.

The reserve champion strong wool Merino ram was exhibited by the Darijon stud, Narrogin.

Mr Teakle said the Darijon ram was a big upstanding ram with a great body.

The four-tooth ram was a grandson of East Mundalla Jonty.

The champion strong wool Merino ewe was exhibited by the Auburn Valley stud, Williams.

Mr Teakle said the Auburn Valley ewe carried a nice, white, strong wool and was very even all over.

The ewe was a two-tooth and was sired by Auburn Valley DT7, which featured on the front cover of the 2013 WA Merino magazine in M.J. Bale's, Perth store.

The reserve champion strong wool ewe ribbon was awarded to the Dongiemon stud, Williams.

Mr Teakle said the four-tooth Dogiemon ewe had a beautiful, square hindquarter.