TOP honours in the Merino ring at this year's Make Smoking History Williams Gateway Expo on April 10 were claimed by two top quality exhibits from the Norrish family's Angenup stud, Kojonup.
The ram and ewe from the Angenup stud caught the attention of the judges with their balance and wool qualities.
In the ram judging it was a productive, medium wool sire, which took out the top award and was sashed the grand champion Merino ram, while the top ewe honour and grand champion Merino ewe ribbon went to a well-balanced fine/medium wool ewe.
The Angenup ram was the standout for the judges because of its structure and stylish, white wool and it was unlucky not to go home with the supreme ribbon at the end of the day, as it ran a good race against the Poll Merino champion from the Manunda stud, Tammin, for the champion ram of show title.
When the ram was sashed the grand champion Merino ram, judge Darren Chapman, Beaufort Vale stud, Boyup Brook, said it was an upstanding ram with plenty of quality features and it was a close call between it and the reserve grand champion.
"In the end we couldn't go past the Angenup ram's very good structure and impressive fleece," Mr Chapman said.
"He has well-nourished, stylish wool which exhibits a beautiful lock structure.
"He also has good depth of body, is structurally sound and has a good purity throughout from his muzzle to his toes."
The Angenup ram earned the right to compete for the grand champion ribbon after being sashed the champion medium wool Merino ram and winning its class for medium wool Merino rams, any age, in front of five other rams.
At that point judge Jason Griffiths, Canowie Fields stud, Gairdner, said the Angenup ram was very well-grown and showed good length and depth of body.
"He also has a tremendous staple length and great style in his wool," Mr Griffiths said.
"He has a really sirey wool which catches the eye and his wool production traits are excellent."
The four-tooth sire, is no stranger to broad ribbons as it was sashed the supreme Merino exhibit and grand champion Merino ram at this year's Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama.
The ET-bred ram is by Angenup 265 and out of an Angenup Chester daughter.
Standing reserve to the Angenup sire in a close tussle and taking home the reserve grand champion Merino ram ribbon, like it did at this year's Woolorama, was an impressive sire from the Wise family's Wililoo stud, Woodanilling.
Mr Chapman said the Wililoo sire was an upstanding ram which had a quality wool packed on it.
"He is a heavy-boned ram with good length and depth of body and a beautiful topline," Mr Chapman said.
"When it comes to his wool it is also hard to fault as it is bright and white and has good crimp definition.
"He is a really productive woolled ram."
The Wililoo sire stood in the grand champion line-up after winning its initial class for fine/medium wool Merino rams any age and being sashed the champion fine/medium wool Merino ram.
The ram, which has just cut its four teeth, is by Wililoo Hector and out of a ewe carrying Orrie Cowie Trojan bloodlines.
In the ewe classes it was an exhibit from the Angenup stud which again shone through and won the top award -the grand champion Merino ewe award.
But its success in the judging didn't end with the grand champion ribbon as it went on to be sashed the champion ewe of show as well in front of the grand champion Poll Merino ewe which was also exhibited by Angenup.
When being crowned the expo's top ewe, Mr Griffiths said all the judges agreed it was its wool quality that got it over the line for the title.
"She has a super white, soft-handling wool which has a well defined crimp," Mr Griffths said.
"In addition to her top wool traits, you also can't fault her structurally."
Equally happy to praise the ewe was judge Richard House, Barloo stud, Gnowangerup, who said the ewe showed really good balance and was well-covered in quality fleece.
"She has a rich pure wool which is capable of handling all weather conditions," Mr House said.
"Her wool quality doesn't change, she holds it all over."
Prior to being sashed the champion ewe of show and grand champion Merino ewe, the Angenup exhibit was sashed the champion fine/medium wool Merino ewe when it won its class for fine/medium wool Merino ewes, any age.
The four-tooth, AI-bred ewe, which is by Angenup 3, was also sashed the champion fine/medium wool Merino ewe at this year's Woolorama.
The Hogg family's Navanvale stud, Williams, exhibited the reserve grand champion Merino ewe when a medium wool ewe from the stud shone through and appealed to the judges.
Mr House said the Navanvale ewe had an excellent outlook and showed great presence.
"She is structurally a very good ewe but she also has a very good medium wool that has great nourishment," Mr House said.
Prior to being sashed the reserve grand champion, the four-tooth ewe was sashed the champion medium wool Merino ewe when it won its class ahead of three other ewes.
At that point Mr Griffiths said it was a long-bodied ewe with a free-growing, long-stapled, white wool.
The ET-bred ewe is by Charinga General, which the Navanvale stud purchased in 2018 for $42,000 and out of Navanvale 20, that was part of the stud's winning national pair at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria, in 2016.
In the superfine classes honours were shared between the Rangeview stud, Darkan and the Tilba Tilba stud, Williams.
In the ram classes the champion ribbon went to a sire from Rangeview which Mr Chapman said had plenty of scale and size for a superfine type and for its size carried a quality superfine fleece all over.
The champion ram from Rangeview was a four-tooth sired by Rangeview 82.
The reserve champion superfine Merino ram ribbon was taken home by the Tilba Tilba stud when Mr Chapman gave a ram from the stud the nod due to its quality and quantity of white wool it carried.
"He is a good sized ram with plenty of nice, white, superfine wool," Mr Chapman said.
The four-tooth sire was from the stud's green tag family.
In the superfine ewe class the tables were turned and it was a Merino ewe from the Tilba Tilba stud which took the champion ribbon from a ewe from the Rangeview stud that had to settle for the reserve title.
Mr Chapman said the Tilba Tilba ewe showed a very good superfine style.
"She carries her quality all over and does not only have wool quality, but she also carries plenty of wool on a good body," Mr Chapman said.
The four-tooth ewe, which was also sashed the champion superfine wool Merino ewe at this year's Woolorama, is from the stud's green tag family.
Mr Chapman said the reserve champion ewe from Rangeview, which was a four-tooth by Rangeview 635, had a nice barrel and showed good cutting ability.
In the fine wool Merino classes it was Tilba Tilba stud which dominated, collecting three of the four champion ribbons.
The stud exhibited both the champion fine wool Merino ram and ewe, as well as the reserve champion fine wool Merino ewe.
Mr Chapman said the champion ram, which came from a class of five, was true to type, had plenty of wool coverage, a good barrel and a great outlook.
The four-tooth ram was from the stud's blue tag family.
Standing in reserve to the Tilba Tilba ram and taking home the reserve champion fine wool Merino ram ribbon was a sire from the Mallibee stud, Wannamal.
Mr Chapman said the four-tooth ram, which is by a Roseville Park sire, had a nice barrel, a beautiful soft muzzle and a nice white wool.
When it came to Tilba Tilba's champion and reserve champion fine wool Merino ewes, Mr Chapman said the champion had a sound structure and carried a well-nourished, stylish wool while the reserve had a good barrel but lacked the nourishment and style of the champion.
Both ewes were four-tooths with the champion coming from the stud's pink tag family, while the reserve was from its green tag family.
There were plenty of quality exhibits in the fine/medium and medium wool sections with all four champions going on to be either a grand or reserve grand champion exhibit.
In the fine/medium rams the reserve champion ribbon was awarded to an exhibit from the Angenup stud, which Mr Chapman said had a nice, soft, white wool and a good pure face.
The reserve champion fine/medium wool ewe ribbon went to an exhibit from the Rangeview stud which Mr Chapman said was a good ewe for its type as it displayed both good body size and wool quality.
In the medium wool section the reserve champion medium wool Merino ram ribbon was draped across the back of a ram from the Wililoo stud.
Mr Griffiths said the Wililoo ram was a well-grown sire with a very white wool but it didn't quite have the staple length of the champion from Angenup which went on to be sashed the grand champion Merino ram.
The Angenup stud collected the reserve champion medium wool Merino ewe ribbon with a ewe which Mr Griffiths said was a true medium wool type with a good, rich medium wool.
"It was very close between her and the champion from Navanvale and in the end she didn't quite have the length of body or staple length of the champion."
The champion ribbons in the strong wool Merino sections were shared between four different studs.
The champion strong wool Merino ram was exhibited by the Darijon stud, Narrogin.
Mr House said the Darijon ram was a big, well-balanced ram with a super rich, bright white wool.
The four-tooth sire is by a homebred Darijon ram.
The reserve champion strong wool Merino ram ribbon went to an exhibit from the Auburn Valley stud which Mr House said was a nice big ram which displayed plenty of staple length in its wool.
In the strong wool ewes classes it was a ewe from the Mullan family's Eastville Park stud, Wickepin, which came out on top and claimed the champion ribbon ahead of five other ewes in their class for strong wool Merino ewes, any age.
Mr House said the Eastville Park ewe was a magnificent ewe with great productivity.
"She is a very long ewe, which stands over a lot of ground and has plenty of quality strong wool all over," Mr House said.
The two-tooth, ET-bred ewe, is by Barloo 414 and out of a Navanvale Frank blood ewe.
The reserve champion strong wool Merino ewe ribbon was awarded to a ewe from the Angenup stud which Mr House said was a good rich woolled ewe that displayed a good finish in its wool.
The four-tooth ewe was also ET-bred and is a daughter of Angenup Franklin.