It was an upstanding medium wool ram and a classy fine wool ewe which dominated the Merino judging at this year's Wagin Woolorama, taking home the top two 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.
When they eventually did, it was a ram from the Wise family, Wililoo stud, Woodanilling and a ewe from the King family's Rangeview stud, Darkan, for their grand champions due to their superior traits in terms of production and wool quality.
The medium wool Wililoo sire caught the eye of the judges early with its make and shape, wool production ability 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, it meant back-to-back grand champion Merino rams at Woolorama for the Wililoo stud.
Judge Shayne Mackin, Kamballie stud, Tammin, said the ram was a unanimous winner in the eyes of the judges.
"He has real presence, is fault free, has a strong head and a very good wool," Mr Mackin said.
"He has really good wool cutting ability and a top carcase.
"He is nearly a faultless ram and a real credit to the breeders."
The four-tooth ram earned its right to compete in the grand championship after it won its initial class for four tooth and over, medium wool Merino rams in front of five other rams, before going on to be sashed the champion strong wool Merino ram.
At this point judging pair Phil and Robyn Jones, Belka Valley stud, Bruce Rock, put it on top due to its size, structure and wool quality.
Mr Jones described the ram as a massive sire which was beautifully put together.
"He has beautiful medium wool that has great nourishment," Mr Jones said.
The ram is by a Wililoo sire which carries Angenup bloodlines in its background.
Collecting the reserve grand champion Merino ram ribbon behind the Wililoo ram, was a sire from the Rintoul family's Auburn Valley stud, Williams.
When the Auburn Valley ram received the reserve grand champion ribbon, it marked the first time the stud had received a grand or reserve grand champion ribbon at the Woolorama.
Mr Mackin said the Auburn Valley ram had a great productive skin and a quality medium wool all over.
The Auburn Valley ram earned the right to stand in the grand champion line-up after being sashed the reserve champion medium wool Merino ram behind the Wililoo ram.
At this point Mr Jones said the Auburn Valley ram had a beautiful wool and skin but lacked the scale of the champion.
But the ribbons didn't end there for the young Auburn Valley ram as it was also sashed the champion two-tooth ram of show.
When it received this ribbon, judge Steven Bolt, Claypans stud, Corrigin, said it was the most balanced ram in the line-up and its production was outstanding.
"He has a beautiful, nourished medium wool and a very good skin," Mr Bolt said.
"He is just a really well-balanced and structured young ram."
The two-tooth, May 2022-drop ram is by Wililoo Buster 469, which was purchased by the Rintouls at the 2021 Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Merino Ram Sale at Katanning for $14,250 and out of a ewe, which was sired by Navanvale Frank.
In the Merino ewe grand championship judging, it was the Rangeview stud which was awarded the grand champion Merino ewe ribbon.
Collecting the ribbon for the stud was a young two-tooth fine wool ewe when it outclassed the rest of the competition.
When it received the grand champion ribbon Mr Mackin said the ewe was well-balanced and carried a top quality fine wool all over.
"She has really good softness and purity and she also carries her wool quality right down to her points," Mr Mackin said.
"She gets better and better the further you go down."
The ewe was in the grand champion line-up after initially winning its two-tooth class for fine wool Merino ewes and then going on to be sashed the champion fine wool Merino ewe.
At this point Mr Bolt said it was an exceptional fine wool ewe with balance and exceptional coverage.
"Her wool quality is exceptional and she displays real sharpness in her crimp definition," Mr Bolt said.
The ewe was also sashed the champion two-tooth ewe and at this point Mr Mackin said it has good coverage, a great skin, really good finish and a very good underline.
"She is a very productive and impressive young ewe," he said.
The ET-bred ewe is by a Misty Hills sire and out of Rangeview 5.
While the Wililoo stud may have taken home the top Merino ram ribbon it had to settle for the reserve grand champion Merino ewe ribbon when a fine-medium wool ewe from the stud stood in the reserve position.
Mr Mackin said the Wililoo ewe was a productive ewe with a rich, white wool on a large frame.
"She is also well-structured and well-balanced," Mr Mackin said
The ewe, which is by Wililoo Hector, made its way into the grand champion line-up after initially winning its class for two-tooth fine-medium wool Merino ewes.
From there it was sashed the champion fine-medium wool Merino ewe.
In the superfine wool classes the ribbons were shared.
The Rintoul family's Tilba Tilba stud, Williams, exhibited the champion and reserve champion superfine Merino rams.
Mr Bolt said the champion ram had fantastic staple length and was outstanding underneath.
"He is a really well-balanced superfine type," he said.
"The reserve is a structurally sound ram with a quality wool but it just lacks the finish of the champion."
The champion was from the stud's blue tag family while the reserve was by Langdene Supreme.
In the superfine ewe section, the Rangeview stud exhibited the champion superfine wool Merino ewe and Mr Bolt said it was an outstanding ewe with beautiful balance and structure.
"She also carries a quality superfine fleece with purity right to her points," he said.
The ET-bred ewe is by Rangeview 1044 and out of Rangeview P133.
The Tilba Tilba stud exhibited the reserve champion superfine Merino ewe and this ewe was from its purple tag family.
Mr Bolt said the Tilba Tilba ewe showed good do-ability and had a pure, white superfine fleece.
Along with exhibiting the champion fine wool Merino ewe, which went onto be sashed the grand champion Merino ewe the Rangeview stud also exhibited the champion fine wool Merino ram.
Mr Bolt said the four-tooth ram from Rangeview was structurally sound, displayed good size and carried a quality white, crimping fine wool.
The ET-bred ram is by Yarrawonga 163 and out of Rangeview 3.
The Tilba Tilba stud exhibited both the reserve champion fine wool Merino ram and ewe.
Mr Bolt said the reserve champion ram from Tilba Tilba carried a soft-handling, true fine wool, while the stud's reserve champion ewe had nice balance and a beautiful, pure, white wool.
The ram is by Tilba Tilba 137 while the ewe was from the stud's purple tag family.
In the fine-medium wool Merino ram championship the champion ribbon went to the McLagan family's Eungai stud, Miling.
Mr Mackin said the Eungai ram had good make and shape.
"He has a strong head, a big barrel as well as good length and good bone," Mr Mackin.
The four-tooth ram is by Alfoxton Brutus.
The Mullan family's Quailerup West stud, Wickepin, claimed the reserve champion fine-medium wool Merino ram ribbon.
Mr Mackin said the two-tooth Quailerup West ram, which was by Quailerup West Tom, displayed real wool quality but just lacked the scale of the champion.
"He has a well-nourished, very white, long-stapled wool all over," he said.
The Rangeview stud exhibited the reserve champion fine-medium wool Merino ewe.
Mr Mackin said the ewe from Rangeview carried a quality white, stylish, fine-medium wool and was true to type right through.
The ewe is ET-bred by Yarrawonga 193.
In the medium wool ewe classes it was the Wililoo stud which took top honours and exhibited the champion medium wool Merino ewe.
Mr Jones said the Wililoo ewe had a tremendous barrel and a soft-handling, white crimpy, medium wool.
The two-tooth ewe carries pure Wililoo breeding.
Standing in reserve to the Wililoo ewe and being sashed the reserve champion medium wool Merino ewe was a four-tooth ewe from the Auburn Valley stud.
Mr Jones said the Auburn Valley ewe was not far behind the champion and they found them hard to split.
"She is also a very good ewe with a good skin and quality white wool," Mr Jones
The Auburn Valley ewe is by Wililoo Buster 469 and out of a Woodyarrup blood ewe.
In the strong wool ram classes it was the Patterson family's Woolkabin stud, Woodanilling, which claimed the champion strong wool Merino ram ribbon, while the reserve champion strong wool Merino ram ribbon went to a ram from the Ledwith family's Kolindale stud, Dudinin.
Mr Jones said there was very little in it between the Woolkabin and Kolindale ram.
"The Woolkabin ram has good structure, balance and neck extension and is put together magnificently while the Kolindale ram carries an excellent quality, very white strong wool," Mr Jones said.
The Woolkabin ram came from the two-tooth class and is by a Woolkabin sire, while the Kolindale ram won the four-tooth class and is by a Kolindale sire.
In the ewe classes it was the Auburn Valley stud, which came out on top, taking home both the champion and reserve champion strong wool Merino ewe ribbons.
Judge Robyn Jones, Belka Valley stud, Bruce Rock, said they were two well-made ewes which carried very good, white strong wools.
"The champion just had more scale, size and length of body compared to the ewe in reserve," Ms Jones said.
Both ewes were from the four-tooth class.
The champion is by Wililoo Buster 469 and is out of a Pooginook Gem blood ewe while the reserve is by an Angenup ram and out of a Pooginook Ranger blood ewe.
