King family's Rangeview stud, Darkan, takes out supreme Merino

Leading into this year the King family had never claimed a supreme title at any show in WA.

So to win back-to-back title with its upstanding medium wool Poll Merino ram, Lawry, at the Wagin Woolorama and Williams Gateway Expo, will certainly go down as one for the history books for the stud.

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To win one supreme title in a year is hard enough, but to win back-to-back titles is something special and something not many studs have ever achieve.

So when Lawry was announced as the supreme champion exhibit at the expo, it was another special occasion and one the King family is sure not to forget in a hurry.

Like at the Wagin Woolorama, the classy sire from the Rangeview stud made its impact in the judging ring at Williams and ensured yet again a different name would be added to the supreme winner's list for the event.

The medium woolled ram attracted the judge's eye early in the day and made its presence felt in the ring, ensuring it couldn't be overlooked for the day's top award.

However it wasn't always easy going for the Rangeview sire as it didn't have it all its own way despite its impressive outlook and production traits, as it had to overcome 127 exhibits from 17 other studs before being sashed the supreme exhibit of the show.

Pushing it right to the final judging were two extremely impressive exhibits - an upstanding superfine Merino ewe from the Tilba Tilba stud, Williams, which was sashed the champion ewe of show and prior to that it was the grand champion Merino ram from the Wililoo stud, Woodanilling, when they stood next to each other for the champion ram of show award.

When the Rangeview ram and Tilba Tilba ewe, were lined up for the supreme judging, it was a tussle as the judges considered the virtues of both, however in the end the ram got the nod from the judges in a unanimous decision.

When the ram was announced the Expo's supreme champion judge Steven Bolt, Claypans stud, Corrigin, said they were two very good sheep standing in front of the judges at the end of the day, with both being very good examples of their types.

"In the end we went for the Rangeview sire and he was a unanimous choice for us as the supreme champion," Mr Bolt said.

"He has beautiful balance and is well-structured.

"But his biggest attraction is his really productive skin and excellent purity which extends right through his folds and down to his toes.

"He also has a beautiful finish and a lovely, soft, pure muzzle.

"Not only does he have excellent wool quality, he is going to cut a power of wool

"He is an outstanding sire and a credit to the King family."

Also full of praise for the Rangeview ram was judge Preston Clarke, Perth.

He said the Rangeview ram had excellent bone and structure along with a big barrel and plenty of depth.

"He has plenty of volume and is very correct," Mr Clarke said.

"But one of his greatest virtues is the richness and quality of his wool, which is always difficult to find on a ram of this size."

The upstanding, four-tooth, ET-bred ram is by Banavie 190 and out of Rangeview Blue 645.

Along with taking home the top award and champion ram of show title, the ram was also sashed the grand champion Poll Merino ram.

When it was announced the grand champion Poll Merino ram, judge Paul Norrish, Angenup stud, Kojonup, said the Rangeview ram was a pretty unanimous winner among a magnificent line-up of Poll Merino sires.

"He has unbelievable nourishment and production," Mr Norrish said.

"But in addition to this he is a well-structured and well-balanced ram.

"He is near the complete package and is a credit to the breeders and their breeding program."

The ram started on its winning ways when it won its class for medium wool Poll Merino rams in front of 14 other rams and was sashed the champion medium wool Poll Merino ram.

Not only did the Rangeview stud take home the top Poll Merino ram award on the day with Lawry, it also dominated the Poll Merino ewe judging as well with entries from the stud being sashed grand champion and reserve grand champion Poll Merino ewes.

Taking home the grand champion Poll Merino ewe ribbon for Rangeview was a classy medium wool ewe after it caught the eye of the judges for its production and structure.

When the ewe received its purple ribbon, Mr Clarke said the ewe had a good frame and structure.

"She is excellent on her feet and legs plus she has a productive, pure, rich wool," he said.

"She is a really well-finished stud ewe, with plenty of potential."

Prior to being sashed the grand champion, the two-tooth ewe was sashed the medium wool ewe when it won its class for medium wool ewes ahead of eight other ewes.

At this point Mr Bolt said the ewe was a really productive ewe.

"She is structurally sound and has a big, square backend," Mr Bolt said

"She also has a fantastic skin and is carrying a well-nourished, well-crimped medium wool.

"In addition to this she is beautifully finished all the way down to her belly and points and is soft and pure through her muzzle.

The upstanding ewe, which is also ET-bred by Banavie 190 and out of Rangeview Blue 645, was also sashed the grand champion Poll Merino ewe at the Wagin Woolorama.

Pushing Rangeview's grand champion ewe all the way in the grand champion battle was its full ET-bred sister that had been sashed the champion fine wool Poll Merino ewe.

When the fine wool ewe received its reserve grand champion ribbon, Mr Clarke said the ewe had excellent size and structure for its type.

"She is a very balanced and productive ewe," he said.

"I think she will go on to breed some excellent progeny."

The two-tooth ewe, which was also sashed the reserve grand champion Poll Merino ewe at Woolorama, started on its winning way at Williams when it won its class for fine wool Poll Merino ewes and was sashed the champion fine wool Poll Merino ewe.

When it received this ribbon, Mr Norrish said it was a heavy cutting ewe carrying an excellent fine wool that display a very well-defined crimp and really good nourishment.

In the reserve grand champion Poll Merino ram, a fine-medium wool ram from the Jackson family's Westerdale stud, McAlinden, received the judges' tick of approval.

When it received its reserve grand champion ribbon, Mr Norrish said it was not that far behind the Rangeview sire.

"He has great purity and softness like the Rangeview ram but it just doesn't quite have its wool production ability," Mr Norrish said.

"He is a big upstanding ram with a really good structure."

Westerdale's fine-medium wool ram earned the right to compete for the grand champion title after it won its class for fine-medium wool Poll Merino rams ahead of seven other rams and was sashed the champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ram.

At this point Mr Bolt said it was a beautiful, upstanding ram which carried a quality wool all over from head to toe.

"He also has excellent softness all over and a beautiful, soft and pure muzzle and poll," Mr Bolt said.

The four-tooth ram, which was also sashed the reserve grand champion Poll Merino ram at the Woolorama, is by Glenlea Park 881.

In the superfine ram class it was the Rangeview stud, which collected the champion superfine wool Poll Merino ram ribbon.

Mr Norrish said the champion superfine ram exhibited by Rangeview was a square, well-built, structurally correct ram carrying plenty of quality superfine wool.

The four-tooth ram is by a Stillbrook sire.

When it came to the fine wool Poll Merino ram class, it was a ram from the Blight family's Seymour Park stud, Highbury, which came out on top and was sashed the champion fine wool Poll Merino ram.

Mr Norrish said the ram was an exceptional sire.

"He is very sound on his feet, is structurally correct and carries a quality white wool which has a stiff lock," he said.

The reserve champion fine wool Poll Merino ram was exhibited by the Rangeview stud and Mr Norrish said it was a well-structured ram with a beautiful, lustrous wool.

The Rangeview stud also exhibited the reserve champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ram.

Mr Bolt said the ram was well-balanced and a really productive white woolled ram.

The four-tooth ram is a full ET-bred brother to Rangeview's supreme champion and grand and reserve grand champion Poll Merino ewes.

In the fine-medium wool Poll Merino ewe championship, the Seymour Park stud collected the double, exhibiting both the champion and reserve champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ewes.

Mr Bolt said the champion was a big, barrely ewe with great length of body, square backend and good neck extension.

"Carcase wise, she is outstanding and in addition to this she has great wool production ability," Mr Bolt said.

"The reserve champion also has good scale and carries a quality, well-crimped and well-nourished wool."

The two four-tooth ewes were AI-bred with the champion by Willandra 447 and the reserve by Coromandel 419.

Seymour Park collected another reserve champion ribbon when it exhibited the reserve champion medium wool Poll Merino ewe.

Mr Bolt said this ewe was a big, upstanding ewe with plenty of wool cutting ability.

The four-tooth, AI-bred ewe is by Willandra 447.

The reserve champion medium wool Poll Merino ram was exhibited by the Ledwith family's Kolindale stud.

Mr Bolt said the Kolindale ram, which was AI-bred by Wallaloo Park 422, was an outstanding carcase sire that stands up beautifully square.

"In addition to his excellent carcase traits he has a quality wool," Mr Bolt said.

In the strong wool classes it was the Mullan family's Eastville Park stud, Wickepin and the Rangeview stud that finished with the champion ribbons.

The champion strong wool Poll Merino ram ribbon went to a sire from the Eastville Park stud, when it won its strong wool ram class ahead of eight other rams.

Mr Clarke said everything was right about it.

"He is long, has good bone, an excellent structure and outstanding, soft, long-stapled wool," Mr Clarke said.

The four-tooth ram is by East Mundalla Masterbuilt 30.

Standing in reserve to the Eastville Park ram and collecting the reserve champion strong wool Poll Merino ram ribbon was a ram from the Rangeview stud.

Mr Clarke said the four-tooth ram from Rangeview had a big barrel and a beautiful, well-nourished wool.

The ET-bred ram is by Banavie 190 and out of Rangeview 798.

In the strong wool ewe classes Rangeview went one better exhibiting the champion strong wool Poll Merino ewe.Mr Clarke said this ewe was outstanding in every aspect when it won the strong wool Poll ewe class ahead of six other ewes.

"She has a good backend, good depth of body, excellent structure and really good wool quality," he said.

The four-tooth ewe is also a full ET-bred sibling to Rangeview's supreme champion and grand and reserve grand champion Poll Merino ewes.

Collecting the reserve champion strong wool Poll Merino ewe ribbon in the class was a ewe from the Seymour Park stud which Mr Clarke said had a magnificent barrel and a top quality wool.

The four-tooth AI-bred ewe is by Wallaloo Park 226.

The Rangeview stud rounded out a very successful day by being announced not only the most successful exhibitor, but also the exhibitor of the John 'Jacko' Higham Memorial champion ram and ewe pair in front of six other pairs.

Mr Norrish said the Rangeview Poll Merino pair was very even and too hard to go past.

"They are two, big, bulky sheep that are going to cut a lot of wool," Mr Norrish said.

"They are both very stylish in the wool and both stand up very square."

Second in the class went to a superfine Merino pair from the Tilba Tilba stud, Williams, while the Seymour Park stud, finished third with a Poll Merino pair.