It was an upstanding Poll Merino ram lamb from the Kirk family's Sunny View stud, Wagin, which was the star of the show in the autumn shorn classes at this year's Act Belong Commit Williams Gateway Expo.
The classy 2022-drop, young Poll sire was sashed the champion autumn shorn exhibit ahead of 33 other entries.
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The outstanding, well-balanced sired earned the right to compete for the red, white and blue champion ribbon after placing first in its class for medium and strong wool rams carrying only lambs teeth in front of 14 other rams.
When the Sunny View youngster was announced the champion judge Steven Bolt, Claypans stud, Corrigin, said it was a great line-up of rams for the championship but in the end we went for the Sunny View ram as it was the all round package.
"He is structurally really sound and he has excellent purity right through from his nose to his toes," Mr Bolt said.
"He also carries a quality wool which is well crimped, soft and nourished."
Fellow judge Preston Clarke, Perth, was equally as impressed and said the Sunnyview ram was a very complete and correct sire.
"He stands up well, has a good barrel and muscling to go with a soft, white, stylish wool," Mr Clarke said.
"He stood out early on in his class."
The late May 2022-drop ram is by a Sunny View sire, which is by Manunda 1310, which was purchased by the Woolkabin stud, Woodanilling, for $30,000 in 2018.
Standing in reserve to the Sunny View ram and taking home the reserve champion autumn shorn ribbon was an impressive Poll Merino from the Wise family's Wililoo stud, Woodanilling.
Mr Bolt said the Wililoo ram had an outstanding make and shape.
"He has good structure and a quality wool all over," Mr Bolt said.
"I think he will grow out to be a really good sire and I will be interested to see what he looks like later in the year."
Prior to competing in the championship line-up, the Wililoo exhibit won its class for superfine, fine and fine-medium wool autumn shorn rams, carrying only lambs teeth, ahead of 10 other rams.
At this point judge Paul Norrish, Angenup stud, Kojonup, said the Wililoo ram was an upstanding young sire that was well-made and very correct on its feet.
"Along with his excellent conformation he is also pushing a quality, long-stapled wool," Mr Norrish said.
The AI-bred ram is by Moorundie 061, which sold for $58,000 to the White River stud, Poochera, South Australia, in 2021.
The other exhibits in the champion line-up were three Poll Merino sires from the Lewisdale stud, Wickepin, which had won the two-tooth superfine, fine and fine-medium wool class, the two-tooth medium and strong wool class and the four tooth and over, any wool type class, as well as a ewe from the Wililoo stud that placed first in the ewe any age and any wool type class.
The place ribbons in the class the Sunny View ram won, went to a Poll Merino and a Merino sire from the Quailerup West stud, Wickepin, which placed second and third.
In this class, Wililoo's reserve champion was first, the Sunny View stud finished second with a Poll Merino and the Tilba Tilba stud, Williams, was third will a Poll Merino sire.
