A LOCAL commercial farmer's superfine ewe fleece has beaten all-comers to claim the supreme grand champion fleece and champion local farmers superfine fleece ribbons at the 2021 LiveLighter Esperance Agricultural Show.
The showing of 176 fleeces, probably the biggest in Western Australia this year and more than at the Perth Royal Show and Wagin Woolorama, was bursting with quality that would compete anywhere in Australia.
Head steward and Nutrien Ag Services region wool manager Andy Beaton said it was the second biggest number of entries in the 10 years he had been involved with the event.
"We topped at 183 fleeces a few years back, but this is a fantastic display of local wool boosted by a very good season down here," he said.
"It's great to see the number of entries and certainly gave us a very busy week prior to the show micron testing all the entries, which takes two days and then judging, which takes several days."
Mr Beaton said Esperance was the only wool show in WA, apart from the Perth Royal Show, which micron tests all fleeces entered and uses this to determine the correct class for each fleece.
"It's a Sirolan Fleece Scanner which tests the whole fleece, not just a sample, the same standard that AWTA uses," he said.
Westcoast Wool & Livestock Esperance region wool buyer Mike Smithson was tasked with judging the huge number of entries this year.
With 25 years of wool classing and 24 years of wool buying experience, he said it was the best quality line-up he had seen at this, his fourth judging appearance at the show.
"The wool was very sound and high yielding, reflected by the good season, but we are also seeing the result of investment local producers have made in buying better rams, largely from local studbreeders," Mr Smithson said.
"The supreme fleece is one of the best you would find anywhere in Australia.
"It's an impact fleece that hit me in the eye the minute it was put in front of me."
The fleece off a four-year-old ewe was entered by passionate wool producers Terry and Marion Mitchell, from their small flock of 100 Saxon blood paddock run ewes with a heavy dose of Misty Hills stud bloodline.
With 7 entries, it was the first time they had cracked the big one and a delighted Mr Mitchell said he just loved producing quality fine wool.
The fleece weighed 5.1 kilograms, with 68 per cent yield and tested 15.6 micron, to be awarded 91 points.
Runner up to this fleece on 87 points was the champion fine wool stud fleece, again from a ewe, entered by the Vandenberghe family, Wattle Dale stud, Scaddan, which weighed 8.35kg, with 64pc yield and tested at 17.7 micron.
Wattle Dale also won best commercial value fleece with a 17.4 micron ewe fleece which weighed 10.2kg unskirted with 68pc yield and was valued at $154.67.
Scott and Sue Pickering, Derella Downs and Pyramid Poll studs, Cascade, won best performance fleece with a 20.3 micron ram's fleece with nine months growth which weighed 7.8kg with 65pc yield and valued at 478c/day.
With 37 fleeces entered the couple also won most points in the wool section.
But perhaps the most excited exhibitor was nine-year-old Lachlan Coward, Coomalbidgup, showing wool for the first time, who won grand champion and champion fine wool local farmers fleece.
"I picked out the cleanest, whitest ones I could find and entered six fleeces with a bit of help from Mr Beaton," Lachlan said.
Other commercial winners were John Divitini, Vanessa Whiting and Beltana Farm.
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