THE Wise family's Wililoo stud, Woodanilling, dominated the Merino lamb judging once again at this year's Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama.
The family completed the two-peat winning back to back grand champion lamb and champion pair of ram lambs awards this year and enjoyed the generous sponsorship from Universal Trailers and Feeders and Country Wide Insurance Brokers.
With only three studs competing, lamb numbers were down on previous shows but the presentation of ram lambs from the Wililoo stud and the Mackin family, Kamballie stud, Tammin, saw some tightly contested classes for judges Neil Jackson, Overton stud, Kojonup, Daniel Gooding, East Mundalla stud, Tarin Rock and Mitchell Crosby, Nutrien Livestock Breeding, assisted by associate judges Timm and Fraser House, Barloo stud, Gnowangerup.
There was only one ewe entered in the competition from the Edward family, Belmont Park stud, Wagin.
This year's top lamb honour went to the Wililoo stud with a Merino ram lamb sashed the grand champion lamb of the show.
But before reaching the grand final against the Belmont Park ewe, the Wililoo ram first overcame a stablemate in the fine wool Merino ram lamb class.
It was then onto the champion ram lamb judging where it was pitted against five other class winners, three from Kamballie and two from Wililoo.
When announced as the champion ram lamb, judge Neil Jackson, Overton stud, Kojonup, said while the decision wasn't unanimous, it was extremely close.
"The ram lambs were at different levels of preparation, we also liked Kamballie's medium wool but we went with the Wililoo fine wool for its overall balance and correctness, structurally it is very good," Mr Jackson said.
"It was close, had we gone the other way, no one would have been too upset."
There were only the two teams entered in the pair of ram lambs class with the Wililoo and Kamballie studs going head to head with their lamb teams.
In the end, the judges gave the nod to the pair of Merino ram lambs from the Wililoo stud, with judge Mitchell Crosby saying the evenness of the Wililoo pair got them over the line.
"An even matching pair of rams, fine-medium to medium wools and their wool types were very good," Mr Crosby said.
"The Kamballie pair were both good sheep also but not quite as even as the Wililoo pair."
With just the one ewe lamb entered in the judging, there wasn't any competition for the medium wool Poll Merino ewe lamb from the Belmont Park stud, Wagin, but Mr Crosby said the ewe lamb was still a deserving winner.
"Good stylish elite wool on a well-balanced frame," he said.
