IT wasn't only a history breaking weekend for football in Perth last weekend, it was also one for the Mullan family's Quailerup West stud, Wickepin, when it claimed the top award in the Merino judging ring at this year's Perth Royal Show with a Poll Merino ewe.
While the Mullans have won multiple supreme awards at shows in WA with rams over the past few years including the past two at the Perth Royal Show, this win marked the first time they had taken home the supreme ribbon with a ewe.
However unlike the Melbourne Demons, the classy, fine wool Poll Merino ewe wasn't a runaway winner and it had some tough competition on its way to the top.
Before the ewe earned the supreme ribbon, it had to overcome a Merino ram also from the Quailerup West stud, a Poll Merino ram from the Eungai stud, Miling, a Merino ewe from the Tilba Tilba stud, Williams, as well as March shorn ram and ewe exhibits from the Claypans stud, Corrigin and the Manunda stud, Tammin.
Unlike the dominance Melbourne Demons showed the day before in the AFL Grand Final at Optus Stadium kicking 16 of the last 17 goals of the game, the Quailerup West ewe wasn't a clear winner and it was very close between all five sheep in the line-up when the judges' votes were counted as all were very good examples of the breed.
But in the end the Quailerup West ewe got the judges' nod and had the broad, purple supreme ribbon draped across its back.
Medium wool judge Rick Wise, Wililoo stud, Woodanilling, said the Quailerup West ewe was a special ewe with a great wool and structure.
"She is a well-made ewe with stretch, scale and a great topline," Mr Wise said.
"But her most impressive asset is her wool.
"She has a faultless wool with amazing lustre and handle.
"Her wool is exceptional, it is bright, white and lustrous and the quality of her wool doesn't change from head to toe."
Also full of praise for the ewe was fine wool judge Heather Meaton, Kojonup, who judged the ewe in its initial class.
Ms Meaton said the Quailerup West ewe had a beautiful fine wool and was well-structured.
"She has a bright, sparkly wool which she carries really well all over," Ms Meaton said.
"She also has a good frame and is well-made.
"She is an impressive ewe."
The full wool ewe started on its winning run in the fine wool Poll Merino class for ewes over 1.5 years showing a minimum of four teeth.
From there it was sashed the champion fine wool Poll Merino ewe, before going on to be sashed the grand champion Poll Merino ewe.
The four-tooth ewe is ET-bred by Coromandel 7.
In the ring it carried wool figures of 17.3 micron, 2.9 SD, 16.8 CV and 100 per cent comfort factor (CF).
Poll Merinos
The Quailerup West supreme exhibit as previously mentioned took top honours in the Poll Merino ewe classes, while the top award in the Poll Merino ram classes went to an upstanding sire from the McLagan family's Eungai stud, Miling.
When the powerful sire from the Eungai stud was announced the grand champion Poll Merino ram, Mr Wise said the ram was a well-finished sire.
"He is a structurally sound ram with good width and depth of body," Mr Wise said.
"He also has a good, soft, white wool.
"In the end it was his bigger barrel and great capacity that got him over the line."
Prior to being sashed the grand champion, the ram won its class for medium wool Poll Merino rams over 1.5 years and was sashed the champion medium wool Poll Merino ram.
The four-tooth, AI-bred ram is by Glenlea Park 881 and in the ring it carried wool figures of 19.3 micron, 3.3 SD, 17.7 CV and 99.8pc CF.
The Mullan family's success in the Poll Merino classes wasn't only limited to its Quailerup West stud, its Eastville Park stud also shone through claiming both the reserve grand champion Poll Merino and reserve grand champion Poll Merino ewe ribbons.
When it came to the stud's reserve grand champion Poll Merino ram it was its quality wool which impressed the judges the most.
Ms Meaton, who judged it in its initial class for fine wool Poll Merino rams over 1.5 years and sashed it the champion fine wool Poll Merino ahead of two others, said it had a wool which leapt out at you.
"It has a very, bright, sparkly wool which it carries really well from head to toe," Ms Meaton said.
"The quality of his wool doesn't change wherever you look.
"He is also a very sound structured ram."
The ET-bred ram is by East Mundalla Oakbank and is out of the same ewe as Eastville Park Bomber, which was the grand champion Poll Merino at the 2018 Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria.
It has wool figures of 18.1 micron, 3,1 SD, 17.1 CV and 99.9pc CF.
Taking home the reserve grand champion Poll Merino ewe ribbon for the Eastville Park stud with a medium wool ewe.
Mr Wise said the Eastville Park ewe was an upstanding ewe.
"She has very good structure and is a large framed ewe," Mr Wise said.
"She also has a soft, long-stapled strong wool with really good crimp definition."
The ewe was in the grand champion line-up after winning its class medium wool Poll Merino ewes over 1.5 years in front of seven other ewes and from there it went on to be sashed the champion medium wool Poll Merino ewe.
The four-tooth ewe is no stranger to broad ribbons as it was sashed the reserve grand champion August shorn Poll Merino ewe at this year's Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram sale at Katanning in August.
The ewe is an ET-bred daughter of East Mundalla Oakbank and out of an Imperial blood ewe.
It had wool figures of 18.2 micron, 3.4 SD, 18.7 CV and 100pc CF.
Merinos
Top honours were shared in the Merino judging with the Quailerup West stud exhibiting the grand champion Merino ram and the Rintoul family's Tilba Tilba stud, Williams, exhibiting the grand champion Merino ewe.
Winning the grand champion ram ribbon for the Quailerup West stud was an impressive medium wool ram.
When the ram was announced the grand champion judge Nathan Teakle, Walkindyer stud, Northampton, said the ram was a very productive sire.
"He is a structurally correct ram with good staple length and nourishment in the wool," Mr Teakle said.
Prior to being sashed the grand champion, the ram won its class for medium wool Merino rams over 1.5 years and was sashed the champion medium wool Merino ram.
At this point Mr Wise said the ram had an extremely crisp, lustrous, white wool.
"He is also a well put together ram with a good frame," Mr Wise said.
The four-tooth ram is from the stud's embryo transfer breeding program and is sired by Westray 913.
It has wool figures of 18.9 micron, 3.1 SD, 16.4 CV and 100pc CF.
Standing in reserve to the Quailerup West ram and being sashed the reserve grand champion Merino ram was a fine wool ram from the Tilba Tilba stud.
Mr Teakle said it was very close between both the Quailerup West ram and the Tilba Tilba ram but unfortunately for Tilba Tilba the Quailerup West ram got over the line.
"The Tilba Tilba ram is a quality fine wool sire, who is well-covered in a very good fine wool," Mr Teakle said.
"It has a nice soft, white wool right down and it also has a very good belly (wool)."
The ram is from the stud's blue tag family and it had wool figures of 17.8 micron, 3.3 SD, 18.5 CV and 100pc CF.
The ram was in the grand champion line-up after it won its class for fine wool Merino rams over 1.5 years and was sashed the champion fine wool Merino ram.
After missing out on the grand champion ribbon in the Merino ram section the Tilba Tilba stud went one better in the Merino ewes when it claimed the grand champion Merino ewe title with a superfine ewe.
The Tilba Tilba ewe was a unanimous winner in the grand champion Merino ewe judging.
Ms Meaton, who judged the ewe in its initial class, said it was a well-covered, deep-bodied ewe.
"She has a nice even superfine fleece and it doesn't vary from head to toe," Ms Meaton said.
"She is also a neatly put together ewe with a good body shape."
The ewe was also sashed the champion superfine wool Merino ewe after winning its class for superfine Merino ewes, any age.
The ewe is from the stud's green tag family and it had wool figures of 18.7 micron, 3.3 SD, 17.6 CV and 100pc CF.
The Mullan family rounded out its success in the Merino judging ring at the show when a strong wool ewe from its Eastville Park stable was sashed the reserve grand champion Merino ewe.
Mr Wise described the Eastville Park ewe as a big, robust ewe with an excellent structure.
"She is a productive ewe with a great soft, white strong wool fleece," Mr Wise said.
The ewe earned the right to compete for the champion ribbon after it won its class for strong wool Merino ewes over 1.5 years and was sashed the champion strong wool Merino ewe.
The ET-bred ewe is by a Barloo sire and out of a Navanvale blood ewe.
It had wool figures of 19.8 micron, 3.3 SD, 16.7 CV and 99.9pc CF.
