It was an upstanding Poll Merino ram from the Lewis family's Lewisdale stud, Wickepin, 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, Poll sire was sashed the champion autumn shorn exhibit ahead of 38 other entries.
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 a ram of any wool type, four teeth and over, ahead of two other rams.
When the Lewisdale ram was announced the champion judge, Rod Norrish, Angenup stud, Kojonup, said it was a great line-up of rams for the championship but in the end they couldn't go past the size and structure of the Lewisdale ram.
"He was head and shoulders above the rest both in terms of his size and quality," Mr Norrish said.
"He has great length of body, is tremendous on his feet and is very square.
"He also has a very sappy tip and is pumping a nice crimped wool.
"He is the all round package and a credit to the breeders."
The 149 kilogram ram is by Lewisdale Monty 10, which goes back to a Collinsville ram which sold for $130,000.
Standing in reserve to the Lewisdale ram and taking home the reserve champion autumn shorn ribbon was an impressive young Poll Merino from the Mullan family's Eastville Park stud, Wickepin.
Mr Norrish said the Eastville Park ram, which still had its lambs teeth, didn't have the maturity of the champion to get it in the number one position.
"He is a very good ram with a super doer soft muzzle, the softness in his muzzle is unbelievable," Mr Norrish said.
"This softness in his muzzles continues right through into his wool.
"He is a tremendous young ram for his type and I will love to see what he grows into later in the year."
Prior to competing in the championship line-up, the Eastville Park exhibit won its class for medium wool autumn shorn rams, carrying only lambs teeth, ahead of seven other rams.
The AI-bred ram is by Collinsville 328 and was dropped in April 2022.
The other exhibits in the champion line-up were two rams from the Rockdale Valley stud, Muntadgin - a Merino which had won the superfine/fine and fine-medium class for rams carrying only lambs teeth, that attracted 11 entries and a Poll Merino that won the strong wool class for rams carrying only lambs teeth, which attracted 11 entries.
There were also two other Poll Merino rams from the Lewisdale stud which had won the two-tooth superfine/fine and fine-medium class and the two-tooth medium and strong class in the championship line-up.
In the medium wool lamb's class, the Eastville Park ram won, a Poll Merino ram from the Darijon stud, Narrogin, finished second, while third went to a Poll Merino ram from the Sunny View stud, Wagin.
Finishing second in the superfine/fine and fine-medium wool lambs class to the Rockdale Valley ram was a Poll Merino ram from Sunny View, while third place went to a Poll Merino ram from the Wililoo stud, Woodanilling.
In the strong wool lamb's class won by Rockdale Valley, second place went to a Poll Merino ram from the East Mundalla stud, Tarin Rock and the Eastville Park stud, collected the third place ribbon with a Poll Merino ram.
