THE Jensen family, Uralla Prime SAMM stud, Pingaring, has taken out the coveted WAMMCO State Prime Lamb Carcase Competition for 2012-13.
The family's winning line of Prime SAMM lambs also led the charge of the Prime SAMM breed which dominated the competition's final standings.
In the competition's overall top 10 placings, Prime SAMM or Prime SAMM-infused lambs featured in eight placed drafts including a clean sweep of the first seven overall placings while the breed won all of the categories.
Prime SAMM lambs featured in four of the top 10 placings in the lambs from Merino dams section including the top two places, six of the top 10 placings in consignments over 300 lambs including first place and the first five placings in the trade weight section.
The WAMMCO carcase competition remains the largest and richest commercial long-term carcase competition in Australia.
Prior to announcing this year's winners at the presentation day at Katanning last week, WAMMCO supply development manager Rob Davidson presented a summary of the competition results and said $17,500 in cash and prizes was up for grabs at this year's competition.
"It's not the pen of three or winning a $50 cheque, it's significant money and effort," Mr Davidson said.
"Throughout the last 10 years, over 175,000 lamb carcases had been evaluated and over $125,000 in cash and prizes shared by the winners."
This year's competition ran from September 3, 2012 to March 31, 2013, which was extended by a month due to a large number of lamb bookings coming through the Katanning plant during spring and summer and saw 14,225 lambs entered in the competition from 55 consignments and 33 growers.
Mr Davidson said entries had to be a minimum consignment of 100 lambs and were entered into four categories including the competition's newest category, lambs from a Merino dam.
"With 85 per cent of WA's ewe flock Merino or Merino strains, the category better reflects the WA ewe flock structure," he said.
To also better reflect world markets and the type of product coming through the WAMMCO plant, the weight and fat score grids were modified but the WAMMCO Lean Meat Yield grid was still used that had been in place since 2009.
"You can still compare your results from multiple entries over the past several years to see how your genetics are improving or your management procedures have changed to influence the overall result," Mr Davidson said.
Lamb entries came from all over the State stretching to the northern agricultural regions, central and eastern Wheatbelt with particularly strong representation from the local Katanning area through to Lake Grace and from Esperance and Jerramungup areas along the South Coast.
The competition still continues to receive entries from growers that are west of the Albany highway.
Mr Davidson said some novel breeds were being evaluated at recent competitions but the genetic range was much tighter at this year's competition.
Seven different types of dams and sires were represented in the competition with 79pc of entries from a Merino, Prime SAMM or SAMM cross dam while Poll Dorset and Prime SAMM sires totally dominated the competition representing 83pc of entries.
Mr Davidson said the lamb markings ranged from 81pc-121pc to average 109pc which was up by 7pc compared to last year's competition.
"Seventy one per cent of entries achieved 100pc or above marking," he said.
"The majority of participation in the competition could enter the Department of Agriculture and Food's 100+ Club."
Mr Davidson used a 22.1kg carcase with a fat score of two to demonstrate the competition's scoring system.
To highlight the impact WAMMCO Select Lean Meat Yield can have on the overall score, Mr Davidson discounted the yield by 2.5pc from 31.5pc to 29pc which reduced the overall score from 2320 points to 1878.
"We are trying to reward well-muscled products but with leanness in the system which is what the world markets are chasing," he said.
The average carcase weight from all entries dropped about 600 grams to 22.3kg which, according to Mr Davidson, was expected to be in line with market demands of a 22kg-24kg carcase while fat scores also slightly dropped to 2.9.
He said 31pc of entries were from 22.1kg-24kg while trade weight numbers 18.1kg-21kg were up significantly at 31pc also.
"I will stress quite heavily, the market wants lean product," Mr Davidson said.
"Sixty five per cent of entries had a fat score less than three and between two and three, which is the ideal window for efficient processing and effective marketing around the world," he said.
"There is a distinct linear relationship between higher fats and reduced lean meat yield."
The Jensen family's overall winning line of 222 Prime SAMM-Merino lambs had an average carcase weight (CW) of 22.79kg, fat score (FS) 2.31 and 33.37pc WAMMCO Select lean meat yield (LMY) with 90.1pc of the carcases attracting bonus points (CBP) to record a total score of 2594.22 competition points.
The Jensen family's winning line progressed through the competition's newest class, lambs from a Merino dam that received 4185 lamb entries from 21 consignments with an average carcase weight of 22.3kg and 2.8 FS and scored an average of 1883 points.
Runner up to the Jensen family in the competition's overall standings went to the Tyrrell family, Swandale Investments, Esperance, with only 98.45 points separating the competition's top two drafts.
The draft of 378 Prime SAMM/Prime SAMM-Merino lambs averaged 22.80kg CW, 2.66 FS, 33.73pc LMY with 96pc (CBP) to finish with 2495.77 points and win the consignment over 300 lambs class.
The over-300 lamb section attracted 9016 lambs from 19 consignments that averaged 21.8kg CW, 3 FS and 1818 points.
Standing in third place overall was the Cronin family, Bunkin Farming, Dumbleyung, with their line of 103 Prime SAMM lambs averaging 24.52kg CW, 2.85 FS, 32.28 LMY, 80.6pc CBP and 2457.69 points, only 38.08 points short of the second placed results.
The Barrett family, GH & CA Barrett, Jerramungup, capped off a successful competition, taking out first and third place in the trade weight section and third place in the over 300 lamb consignment.
The winning line of 422 Prime SAMM lambs averaged 21kg CW, 2.45 FS, 33.52pc LMY and 90.6pc CBP to record 2212.94 points while the Barrett family's third place draft of 488 Prime SAMM lambs averaged 20.21kg, 2.24 FS, 33.34pc CBP and 1991.30 competition points.
The competition's trade weight section evaluated 4251 entries from 17 consignments that averaged 20.3kg, 2.6 FS and 1715 points.
The family's third place in the over 300 lamb consignment went to 422 Prime SAMM lambs averaging 21kg, 2.45 FS, 33.52pc LMY, 90.6pc CBP and 2212.94 points.
The Bessell-Browne family, Naballing Estate, Woodanilling, finished in second place in the trade weight section with 121 Prime SAMM lambs averaging 20.80kg, 2.53 FS, 33.69 LMY, 94.1 CBP and 2199.18 points.
Previous competition winners the Kowald family, Capemont Farms, Katanning, finished in second place in the lambs from a Merino dam section with a draft of 100 Prime SAMM-Merino lambs that averaged 22.34kg, 2.26 FS, 32.41 LMY, 79.4pc CBP and 2319.66 points.
Third place in the lambs from a Merino dam section went to the Galloway family, GA Galloway, Newdegate, with a line of 222 Poll Dorset-Merino lambs averaging 23.97kg, 2.99 FS, 31.79pc LMY, 71.2 CBP and 2224.20 competition points.
In the over 300 lamb consignment section, the Smart family, S & C Smart, Mingenew, finished in second place with 648 Dorper lambs averaging 25.02kg CW, 3 FS, 31.93 LMY, 75.9pc CBP and 2282.97 competition points.