RINTOUL and Williams - two words that became like seeing double in the Merino wool section at this year's Perth Royal Show.
A name and town synonymous with the top of the leader board for wool accolades and achievements most years, but in Perth last week they came together in unison to take the Perth Royal Show's one-two highest honours double.
Leading the charge were the Rintouls from the Auburn Valley stud, based east of Williams and celebrating 115 years in the Merino game, awarded the supreme champion fleece of show crown on 93 points, pipping their more northern relatives the Rintouls from the Tilba Tilba and Dongiemon studs, Williams, by just one point.
The supreme ram's fleece was also grand champion ram fleece and champion fine wool fleece.
The Auburn Valley star was a stud reserve ram judged reserve champion August shorn fine wool Merino ram at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale, at Katanning, in late August.
Proof that investing in good genetics does pay dividends, the ram is an AI son of $42,000 sire, Charinga General which Auburn Valley used in an AI mating program in 2019 and out of an East Mundalla blood stud ewe.
The ram's fleece, also the grand champion ram fleece and champion fine wool fleece, weighed 10.9kg greasy and 8kg clean to yield 73.4 per cent and tested 18.7 micron, 17.5 spin fine, 15.5pc CV, 99.7pc comfort factor (CF), 127mm staple length and 42N/kt staple strength.
It achieved maximum points for clean fleece weight, evenness of fibre diameter and handle and it was this handle that really had the panel of six judges buzzing.
"To look at it you would think it is a ewe or wether fleece, it is so soft with so much style and character but then you look at the bulk which is very good for that micron and the staple length," said lead judge Tim Chapman.
"This offers fantastic potential for a breeding ram to pass these qualities on to its progeny.
The Rintoul family definitely did their bit to support the event, nominating 20 Auburn Valley fleeces and reaped the rewards.
Stud co-principal Peter Rintoul said they had rated the ram for its fleece for sometime but there were a couple of others in their team that were pretty handy too.
"The Generals have given some really nice soft white wools and have clicked well for us," Mr Rintoul said.
The Rintouls of Tilba Tilba stud, may have missed out on the supreme fleece ribbon by one point but they didn't walk away from the competition disappointed.
Their fleece, which was one point off the supreme award, was sashed the reserve grand champion ram fleece and reserve champion open fleece.
The fleece finished on 92 points after scoring perfectly for clean fleece weight, soundness, evenness of fibre diameter and handle in the open fine wool ram class.
It measured 19.7 micron, 15.2 CV, 99.5pc CF, 129mm staple length, 50N/kt staple strength and 69.2pc yield, while it had a GFW of 11.1kg and a CFW of 7.7kg.
The fleece was off an AI-bred Poll Merino ram carrying East Strathglen bloodlines that the Rintouls sold in the ram sale at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale at Katanning in August for $4000 to Callan Hewett, Corrigin.
Also heading back to Williams with the Rintoul (Tilba Tilba stud) family was the grand champion commercial fleece ribbon.
The 15.7 micron fleece had a GFW of 4.6kg and a CFW of 3.4kg and was valued at 1884 cents per kilogram which gave it a commercial value of $87.41.
Its other figures were 17.8 CV, 99.9pc CF, 92mm staple length, 49N/kt staple strength and 74.8pc yield.
Tilba Tilba stud co-principal Andrew Rintoul said the fleece was off a purple tag wether carrying Tilba Tilba bloodlines that was shorn the day the wool was due at the showgrounds for judging.
They also exhibited the champion ultrafine fleece.
The fleece, which was off a shed-prepared, show ewe from the stud's blue tag family, won the housed ultrafine ewe or wether (one fleece) class on 84 points.
The fleece measured 16.3 micron, 14.1 CV, 99.9pc CF, 131mm staple length, 47N/kt staple strength and 72.3pc yield while it had a GFW of 5.8kg and a CFW of 4.2kg.
Not far away at Darkan, the King family who had won the previous two supreme fleece awards with its Rangeview stud sheep also figured prominently on the honour roll, adding grand champion pair of fleeces, grand champion ewe or wether fleece and champion superfine fleece awards to the trophy cabinet.
Stud co-principal Jeremy King said the pair of fleeces were off show ewes from the recent Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale at Katanning comprising the champion superfine wool Merino ewe by a Rangeview ram and the champion fine wool Poll Merino ewe sired by Rock-Bank Raffer.
The fleeces averaged 18.3 micron, 14.5 CV, 99.6pc CF, 127mm staple length, 39N/kt staple strength and 74.3pc yield while it had a GFW of 15.5kg and a CFW of 11.5kg.
The grand champion ewe or wether fleece was off the champion fine/medium wool Merino ewe, also at Katanning, a daughter of Glendonald 8.68 and a Rangeview black 3 family ET ewe.
Its fleece tested 19.6 micron, 16.0 CV, 99pc CF, 133mm staple length, 46N/kt staple strength and 77.9pc yield, while it had a GFW of 8.8kg and a CFW of 6.9kg.
The stud's champion superfine fleece came from Rangeview 1044, the champion fine wool Poll Merino ram from the 2021 Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale at Katanning, which later sold privately for $15,000 to Yass, New South Wales, commercial producer Ashley Wilson.
The fleece tested 17.6 micron, 17.5 CV, 99.7pc CF, 114mm staple length, 42N/kt staple strength and 76.9pc yield while it had a GFW of 9.1kg and a CFW of 7.0kg.
The champion medium fleece of the show was a ram's fleece exhibited by the Eungai stud, Miling.
The 21.8 micron, 24.2kg (GFW) fleece won the open medium wool ram fleece class on 90 points.
It was off a Poll Merino ram called Max (after racing car driver Max Verstappen) which was sashed the grand champion Poll Merino ram at last year's Perth Royal Show.
The ram was sired by Glenlea Park 881 and had measurements of 12.7 CV, 99.4pc CF, 145mm staple length, 65N/kt staple strength, 77.1pc yield and 18.7kg CFW.
Students and staff from the WA College of Agriculture, Harvey, were excited to see their results in the wool judging.
The college exhibited the grand champion farmer's fleece and this marked the first time it had won a grand champion ribbon in the wool competition at the Perth Royal Show.
WA College of Agriculture, Harvey, technical officer sheep, Steve Adams said the fleece was off a two-year-old wether based on Tilba Tilba bloodlines shorn a month ago.
"I pick out the five best woolled wethers as weaners and they go into a mob of 15 which we use as a teaching flock for mouthing etc," Mr Adams said.
"We are always looking at their wools so it's how I know they are right."
The fleece, which was also sashed the champion farmer's ewe or wether fleece measured 18.7 micron, 15.1 CV, 99.8pc CF, 89mm staple length, 56N/kt staple strength and 78.5pc yield while it had a GFW of 4.8kg and a CFW of 3.8kg.
It came from the fine wool ewe or wether farmers class (one fleece) and here it scored 83 points which included perfect scores for hauteur, soundness, evenness of fibre diameter and handle.
The reserve grand champion farmer's fleece and reserve champion farmer's ewe or wether fleece was exhibited by the WA College of Agriculture, Cunderdin.
This fleece scored 81 points to win the superfine wool ewe or wether farmers class (one fleece) class and it scored perfect points for handle, evenness of fibre diameter and soundness.
It had measurements of 18.2 micron, 12.5 CV, 100pc CF, 106mm staple length, 62N/kt staple strength and 78.5pc yield while it had a GFW of 4.7kg and a CFW of 3.7kg
The WA College of Agriculture, Cunderdin, also exhibited the champion farmer's ram fleece which finished on 77 points after winning the fine wool ram farmer's class.
The fleece measured 19.7 micron, 14.8 CV, 100pc CF, 103mm staple length, 48N/kt staple strength and 76.5pc yield while it had a GFW of 5.5kg and a CFW of 4.2kg.
"Thanks to a good season, the quality of fleeces was really very good this year although it did mean a little bit of colour creeping in to some of the fleeces," Mr Chapman said.
He said it was disappointing not to have more entries, especially in the farmer's class categories.
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