THE Wise family, Wililoo stud, Woodanilling, celebrated the 50th Anniversary Wagin Woolorama in style by dominating the Merino judging, taking home three of the top four awards up for grabs.
With a classy line-up of Merinos in the shed, it wasn't an easy job for the judges to find their top exhibits.
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But when they eventually did, it was a ram and a ewe from the Willoo stud for their grand champions due to their superior productivity in terms of both wool and meat.
The strong wool Wililoo sire caught the eye of the judges early with its make and shape, wool production traits and outlook, to ensure the stud continued its show ring success of the past couple of years.
When it was finally sashed the grand champion Merino ram judge Allan Hobley, Wiringa Park stud, Nyabing, said the ram was a very good sheep structurally.
"He has great make and shape, stands up very square and has a good horn set," Mr Hobley said.
"He also has very loose productive skin which is pushing out a quality well-nourished, crimpy, white, strong wool.
"He has really good wool cutting ability and a top carcase.
"He is nearly a faultless ram and a real credit to the breeders."
Fellow judge Chris Hogg, Navanvale stud, Williams, said the Wililoo ram was a top sire with plenty of potential.
"He stands up very square, has a really good topline and a really soft, pure muzzle," Mr Hogg said.
"He also has a really good skin and a magnificent, rich, strong wool.
"He is an excellent Merino sire that has both really good wool production and carcase traits."
The four-tooth ram earned its right to compete in the grand championship after it won its initial class for four tooth and over, strong wool Merino rams in front of two other rams before going on to be sashed the champion strong wool Merino ram.
At this point Mr Hobley said it was a very good strong wool ram with good finish and really good softness in its wool.
The AI-bred ram is by Orrie Cowie Achilles.
The success in the Merino ram judging didn't just stop with the grand champion for the Wise family, they also exhibited the reserve grand champion Merino ram.
This time it was a medium wool ram which attracted the judges' attention and was sashed the reserve grand champion Merino ram.
Mr Hobley said the reserve grand champion ram was a very good ram but it just didn't quite have the structure of the grand champion.
"He has a very good medium wool which is white and crimpy," he said.
"He also has good length of body and stands up square."
This ram, which carries pure Wililoo bloodlines, made its way into the grand champion line-up after initially winning its class for two-tooth medium wool Merino rams ahead of six others.
From there it was the sashed the champion medium wool Merino ram.
At this point Mr Hogg said the ram was an upstanding, long-bodied ram with a quality medium wool all over.
"His wool is white and bright and has plenty of crimp definition and he also has a beautiful underline," Mr Hogg said.
"He also stands up nice and square from front to back.
"He is a really good medium wool Merino ram."
After dominating the ram grand champion line-up, the Wililoo stud continued on its winning ways when the Merino ewes were lined up for the grand champion ribbon.
This time it was an upstanding fine wool exhibit from Wililoo that stood out from the rest and received the judges' nod to be sashed the grand champion Merino ewe of the show.
When the ewe received its purple grand champion ribbon Mr Hobley said the Wililoo ewe was an excellent example of its type.
"She is a big fine wool ewe carrying a really beautiful, soft, pure and uncomplicated, white fine wool," Mr Hobley said.
Prior to being sashed the grand champion, the ewe was sashed the champion fine wool Merino ewe and won its class for fine wool Merino ewes, four teeth and over.
When it was sashed the champion fine wool Merino ewe, judge Rod Norrish, Angenup stud, Kojonup, said it was a big sheep for its type.
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"She is an upstanding, well-made ewe with a good long body and plenty of depth," Mr Norrish said.
"To go with that she has excellent softness throughout her muzzle and then right through her wool.
"When it comes to her wool she has a good staple length and beautiful crimp definition.
"She is a top young ewe with a big future ahead of her."
The four-tooth ewe is a granddaughter of Angenup Kevin.
Standing in reserve position to the Wililoo ewe and receiving the reserve grand champion Merino ewe ribbon was a superfine wool ewe from the Rintoul family's Tilba Tilba stud, Williams.
When the Tilba Tilba ewe received its reserve grand champion ribbon, Mr Hobley said it was a very good example of its superfine type.
"She has a really good finish and a top superfine wool from her top notch to her toes," he said.
The Tilba Tilba ewe was in the grand champion line-up after it won its class for superfine Merino ewes, any age, in front of three other ewes and was sashed the champion superfine Merino ewe.
At this point Mr Norrish said the Tilba Tilba ewe was well made and carried a very good superfine fleece.
"She is exceptionally even all over and is a good example of a superfine type," Mr Norrish said.
The two-tooth ewe is from the stud's BB family.
Along with exhibiting the champion superfine Merino ewe the Tilba Tilba stud dominated the superfine Merino ram championship exhibiting both the champion and reserve champion superfine Merino rams.
Mr Norrish said the champion ram had great style for a superfine.
"He has exceptionally soft-handling wool and is well-covered and well let down," he said.
"In terms of the reserve champion it just lacked the softness of the champion but was still a well-covered and good sized superfine ram."
The champion ram, which was a four-tooth, is by Langdene Supreme while the reserve, which is also a four-tooth, is from the stud's Misty Hills Dominator family.
The reserve champion superfine wool Merino ewe was exhibited by the Mallibee stud, Wannamal.
Mr Norrish said the four-tooth Mallibee ewe which carried Roseville Park bloodlines was a good superfine type but just didn't have the evenness of the champion.
In the fine wool ram championship it was a ram from the King family's Rangeview stud, Darkan, which took top honours and was sashed the champion fine wool Merino ram.
Mr Norrish said the Rangeview ram was a heavy ram for its type.
"He has a tremendous carcase and bodyweight to go with excellent cutting ability and a quality white, bright, fine wool," Mr Norrish said.
The four-tooth, ET-bred ram, which is by Glen Donald 868 and out of Rangeview 1345, was in the champion line-up after winning its class for fine wool Merino rams four-tooth and over in front of five other sires.
The reserve champion fine wool Merino ram was exhibited by the Eungai stud, Miling.
Mr Norrish said the four-tooth ram, which carries Charinga Juddy bloodlines, was a good example of a fine wool ram but it didn't have the productivity of the champion.
The Tilba Tilba stud exhibited the reserve champion fine wool Merino ewe.
The four-tooth ewe is by Merryville Giant and Mr Norrish said she carried a soft, white bright wool but lacked the size and scale of the champion from Wililoo.
In the fine-medium wool championships the champion ribbons went four ways.
In the rams it was the Woolkabin stud, Woodanilling, which went home with the champion ribbon, while the Overton stud, Kojonup collected the reserve champion ribbon.
Mr Hogg said it was hard to split the two rams as they both had good frames and good wools but in the end he went for the Woolkabin ram as it was just a bit more even in the wool and was bigger frame wise.
Both rams came from the four-tooth and over fine-medium wool Merino ram class where they placed first and second.
The Woolkabin ram is ET-bred by Woolkabin 169 while the Overton ram carries Nerstane bloodlines.
In the fine-medium wool ewes the Rangeview stud claimed the champion ribbon with a ewe that Mr Hogg said was a big, square ewe with plenty of quality white, bright wool all over.
The four-tooth ewe is by Rangeview 82.
The reserve champion fine-medium wool Merino ewe ribbon went to a four-tooth ewe from the Tilba Tilba stud which carried Merryville bloodlines.
Mr Hogg said it was a good long-bodied ewe which carried a well-nourished white wool.
The Quailerup West stud, Wickepin, exhibited the champion medium wool Merino ewe.
Mr Hogg said it had a good barrel and was good through the twist and the brisket.
"She stands up nice and square and has a terrific white wool," he said.
The four-tooth, ET-bred ewe is by Quailerup West Tommy and out of a Tara Park blood ewe.
The reserve champion medium wool ram was exhibited by the Eungai stud and it was described by Mr Hogg to be a long-bodied and deep ram with a good medium wool from head to toe.
The four-tooth ram is Barloo Impact 414-60-44.
The Kolindale stud, Dudinin, claimed the reserve champion strong wool Merino ram ribbon with an AI-bred four-tooth sire which is by Barloo 41.
Mr Hobley said the Kolindale ram was a big, upstanding ram with a big barrel and plenty of staple length.
