IT wasn't only a special day for the Wagin Woolorama on Friday when it celebrated its 50th anniversary, but it will also be one that will not be quickly forgotten by the King family, Rangeview stud, Darkan, when it claimed the prestigious supreme ribbon in the Merino ring with an upstanding Poll Merino sire.
When the classy medium wool Poll Merino ram, named 'Lawry' received the award, it marked the first time the stud had claimed the supreme title at Wagin despite showing at the event for more than 40 years.
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It was certainly a proud and emotional moment for second-generation studmaster John King along with his son and current studmaster Jeremy and family, when their ram was announced the winner.
John King said his father founded the stud in 1952 and he would be very proud of the family winning the supreme award.
"We are now into our fourth generation with the stud with Jeremy's children involved so this is pretty special to all of us," Mr King said.
When judging started, the race to take out the coveted supreme award was wide open as there were plenty of outstanding Merinos and Poll Merinos in the shed.
As a result the judges had their work cut out for them as they worked their way through the classes and sorted through the 140 rams and ewes entered from 21 studs to find their supreme champion.
Eventually they narrowed down the field to their top four for the day's last award and that was when the job got even tougher as the pressure was on to get it right, as not only was the honour of exhibiting the supreme exhibit on the line, but so too was a two-wheel motorbike, sponsored by Elders and Farm Weekly.
Standing alongside Rangeview 'Lawry' in the final judging as the sun began to set was a fine-medium wool Poll Merino ewe also from the Rangeview stud, along with two impressive Merino exhibits from the Wise family's Wililoo stud, Woodanilling, which exhibited the grand champion Merino ram and grand champion Merino ewe.
While all were quality exhibits in their own rights when the judges handed in their voting cards, the Poll Merino sire from Rangeview that got the nod in a split decision.
When the Rangeview ram was announced the winner, judge Allan Hobley, Wiringa Park stud, Nyabing, said it was a really good example of the modern Poll Merino.
"He is a well put together ram, which stands up extremely well," Mr Hobley said.
"He carries a well-defined medium wool, a huge staple length and he carries his wool quality from top to bottom.
"He is a really productive ram which I think will go on.
"He is a really impressive sire and a credit to the King family."
Also full of praise for the ram at the end of the day for its wool quality and impressive skin was judge Rod Norrish, Angenup stud, Kojonup.
Mr Norrish said the ram had a lovely loose skin which started on its nose and went all the way through that could be easily "wobbled" around.
"It has a great free body and is a very uncomplicated ram," Mr Norrish said.
"He also has good length of body, while his wool is bright and white with plenty of crimp definition.
"He is a very good all round ram and a credit to the breeders and their breeding program.
"He was part of a very good team shown by the Rangeview stud."
The upstanding ram showed all day it was a quality exhibit, starting off when it got through its initial class for two-tooth, medium wool Merino rams finishing ahead of three other rams.
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From here it went on to be sashed the champion medium wool Merino ram and grand champion Merino ram.
When it was sashed the grand champion Merino ram judge Chris Hogg, Navanvale stud, Williams, said it had a great structure to go with impressive wool production traits.
"He is good on his feet, good through the twist, stands up very square and has a very soft muzzle," Mr Hogg said.
"When it comes to his wool you can't fault him either.
"He has beautiful, soft, bright medium wool all over, including underneath on his belly."
But the ribbons didn't end there for the impressive young ram as it was also sashed the champion two-tooth ram.
When it received this ribbon, Mr Hobley said it had plenty of virtues and would suit a lot of breeders.
"He has a high quality, well-nourished medium wool, a really nice loose skin and as a result he is going to cut a lot of wool," Mr Hobley said.
The two-tooth, ET-bred, late July 2021-drop ram is by Banavie 190 and out of Rangeview Blue 645.
In the Poll Merino ewe classes it was a classy fine-medium wool ewe from the Rangview stud that took home the grand champion Poll Merino ewe ribbon after it caught the eye of the judges with its production and structure.
When the ewe received its purple grand champion ribbon, Mr Hobley said it was a very impressive young ewe which was uncomplicated and had plenty of productivity.
"She has a productive skin and is carrying a gutsy fine-medium wool with plenty of style and brightness," he said.
"She also has very good purity and has a beautiful finish."
Prior to being sashed the grand champion ewe, the two-tooth ewe was sashed the champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ewe and won the fine-medium wool class for two-tooth ewes.
It was also sashed the champion two-tooth ewe and at this point Mr Hogg said it was a stylish young ewe with a big future ahead.
"She has excellent length of body, stands up very square and has a great topline," Mr Hogg said.
"She is also good through the twist and has a good soft muzzle and plenty of purity throughout.
"In terms of her wool it has plenty of length and is white and bright plus she has a very productive skin that is going to cut a lot of wool."
The upstanding young ewe is also ET-bred by Banavie 190 and out of Rangeview Blue 645.
Pushing the Rangeview ewe in the grand championship battle was its full ET-bred sister that had been sashed the champion fine wool Poll Merino ewe.
When it received the reserve grand champion ribbon Mr Hobley said the fine wool ewe had a good plain body and was beautifully shaped.
"She is free in the skin and carries a long-stapled, very white, sharp, soft-handling wool," he said.
The two-tooth ewe started on its winning ways when it won its fine wool class for two-tooth Merino ewes and from there it claimed the champion fine wool Merino ewe ribbon.
When it received this champion ribbon Mr Norrish said it was a very big ewe for a fine wool.
"Her sheer bulk and size for a fine wool is impressive," he said.
"Not only is she a big ewe, she also carries an impressive long-stapled fine wool which has softness and style."
When it came to the reserve grand champion Poll Merino ram ribbon, it was a fine-medium wool ram from the Jackson family's Westerdale stud, McAlinden, which received the judges' tick of approval.
Mr Hobley said the Westerdale ram was an upstanding ram with good neck extension and a good barrel, but it just lacked the softness of the Rangeview champion.
"He is square, has length and depth of body and carries a beautiful, long-stapled, bright fine-medium fleece," he said.
The Westerdale ram earned the right to stand in the grand champion line-up after first winning its class for four-tooth and over, fine-medium wool Poll Merino rams in front of 10 other rams and then being sashed the champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ram.
When it received its champion fine-medium wool ribbon, Mr Hogg said it was a big sheep with a great structure and a magnificent medium wool.
The four-tooth ram is by Glenlea Park 881.
In the superfine wool classes the ribbons were shared.
The Rangeview stud exhibited the champion superfine Poll Merino ram which was described by Mr Norrish to be a deep-bodied sire with an excellent superfine fleece all over.
The four-tooth ram is by a Stillbrook sire.
Standing in reserve to the Rangeview sire was a four-tooth ram from the Mallibee stud, Wannamal, which carried Roseville Park bloodlines.
The champion superfine wool Poll Merino ewe was exhibited by the Tilba Tilba stud, Williams and Mr Norrish said it had great shape and carried a quality superfine wool all over.
The four-tooth ewe is from the stud's Poll Boonoke family.
When it came to the fine wool champion ribbons in the ram section it was again a ram from the Rangeview stud which stood at the top of the line and was sashed the champion fine wool Poll Merino ram.
Mr Norrish said the Rangeview ram was very true to type.
"He is long-bodied and has an exceptionally long, soft-handling, crimp wool along with a beautiful head and muzzle," Mr Norrish said.
The ram is a full ET-bred brother to Rangeview's supreme exhibit, grand champion Poll Merino ewe and reserve grand champion Poll Merino ewe.
Standing in reserve and receiving the reserve champion fine wool Poll Merino ram ribbon was a ram from the Overton stud, Kojonup, which Mr Norrish said had a well-nourished, white fine wool to go with a good structure.
The two-tooth, AI-bred ram is by Banavie 190.
The Warralea stud, Gairdner, claimed the reserve champion fine wool Poll Merino ewe ribbon.
Mr Norrish said the four-tooth ewe, which carried Westerdale bloodlines, had exceptional wool quality and very good structure.
Also heading to Gairdner was the reserve champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ewe ribbon when it was put across the back of a two-tooth ewe from the Coromandel stud, Gairdner.
Mr Hogg said the Coromandel ewe carried a magnificent wool but didn't have the finish of the champion Rangeview ewe which went on to be sashed the grand champion.
The ET-bred ewe is by Coromandel Sir Thomas and out of a Glenlea Park 881 blood ewe.
The reserve champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ram ribbon went to a four-tooth sire from the Eastville Park stud, Wickepin, which was ET-bred.
Mr Hogg said the Eastville Park ram was a big ram with a good structure which he believed would get better as the year goes on.
The ram is by East Mundalla 58 and out of an Eastville Park Bomber blood ewe.
The dominance of the Rangeview stud in the Poll Merino section continued into the medium wool classes when it exhibited the champion medium wool Poll Merino ewe.
Mr Hobley said the ewe from Rangeview was a really well-balanced young ewe which was well finished and carried a well-nourished medium wool.
The ET-bred, four-tooth ewe is also by Banavie 190 and out of Rangeview Blue 645.
Standing in reserve to the Rangeview ewe and collecting the reserve champion medium wool Poll Merino ewe ribbon was a four-tooth ewe from the Seymour Park stud, Highbury, which was AI-bred by Willandra 447.
Mr Hobley said the Seymour Park ewe had a big barrel and plenty of wool cutting ability.
The reserve champion medium wool Poll Merino ram was exhibited by the Kolindale stud, Dudinin and it was just unlucky it came up against Rangview's supreme exhibit in the championship judging.
Mr Hobley said the Kolindale ram had excellent commercial value and good overall balance.
"He is a big upstanding, structurally correct ram with a massive staple length but he just didn't have the zip in his wool as Rangeview's champion," he said.
The AI-bred ram, which is by Wallaloo Park 422, was in the champion line-up after finishing first in the day's biggest class, the four-tooth and over medium wool Poll Merino ram, ahead of 12 other rams.
In the strong wool ram classes it was the Eungai stud, Miling, which claimed the champion strong wool Poll Merino ram ribbon, while the reserve champion strong wool Poll Merino ram ribbon went to a ram from the Kamballie stud, Tammin.
Mr Hobley said the Eungai ram was structurally correct and carried a very good medium to strong fleece while the Kamballie ram showed very good commercial traits.
The Eungai ram was a two-tooth and carried Eungai 881 bloodlines, while the Kamballie ram was a four-tooth and was by Kamballie Rookie.
In the ewe classes it was the Seymour Park stud, Highbury, which came out on top, taking home both the champion and reserve champion strong wool Poll Merino ewe ribbons.
Mr Hobley said both four-tooth ewes had big barrels, good make, shape and carried quality, well-nourished strong wools and in the end was the champion just had a bit better structure than the reserve champion.
Both ewes were AI-bred with the champion by Willandra 447 while the reserve is by Wallaloo Park 226.
This year the lamb classes attracted seven ram lamb entries from the Wililoo stud and in the end the judges went for a Poll Merino as its grand champion lamb and champion ram lamb.
Mr Norrish said overall it was an outstanding line-up of ram lambs from the Wililoo stud and the ram lamb they went for as their champion just showed that little bit more potential.
"He has good bone, a lovely long body, is good on his pasterns, a very strong jaw and is soft through the muzzle," Mr Norrish said.
"He also has an extremely good wool and has a terrific sire's outlook.
"He is an outstanding ram lamb with plenty of potential."
The May 2022-drop ram lamb is by a Moorundie Park sire.
The Wililoo stud also exhibited the champion pair of ram lambs which Mr Hobley said were two very good lambs and they were a credit to the breeder.
"They have plenty of size and growth and I will look forward to seeing them later in the year to see how they have grown out."
The winning pair contained the stud's grand champion along with a ram lamb sired by Coromandel 419.
