A BIG, bulky finewool ram from Merryville stud at Boorowa took out the supreme Merino exhibit, just edging ahead of the supreme Merino ewe exhibit from One Oak stud, Jerilderie.
“He’s one of the biggest finewools I’ve stood beside,” said judge Robert Plush, Kerrsville Merinos, Colleraine, Victoria.
Exhibited by the Merriman family, the ram measured 18.7-micron fibre diameter, 2.6-micron standard deviation, 13.9 per cent coefficient of variation and 99.8pc comfort factor.
Fellow judge Philip Carlon, Queenlee stud, Walcha, said in the initial split of the judges’ votes it was three each way between the ram and the ewe, however, after a close look at the belly the judges came up four votes to two in favour of the ram.
Mr Carlon said the ram was “just a little bit truer to type underneath”.
Merryville principal, Wal Merriman, said the supreme exhibit and champion ram was by the unshown Grand Monarch 43rd.
The 2 1/2–year-old supreme ram was also the supreme at this year’s Great Southern Supreme Merino show in Canberra and supreme finewool at the 2013 Royal Canberra Show.
The supreme Merino ewe shown by Graham and Mary Wells of One Oak was an embryo transfer-bred ewe by Roseville Park 14 and from a One Oak ewe.
It measured 17.1 micron, 3.1-micron SD, 18.1pc CV and 99.9pc CF and a full flush brother sold to the White River stud, Minnipa, South Australia, in September last year for $21,000.
The Stonehaven Cup Perpetual Trophy was taken out by a team from the Evans family’s Tara Park stud, Boorowa.