West Australian Merino studs made it back to back wins in the National Merino Pair of the Year competition when a strong wool Merino pair from the Crosby family’s St Quentin stud, Nyabing, were announced this year’s winners at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show.
The pair from the St Quentin stud, which was exhibiting at the event for the first time, were placed in the top position following a unanimous decision by the judges.
Judge Paul Norrish, Angenup stud, Kojonup, WA, said, it was a great line-up of pairs but the St Quentin team stood out.
“They have plenty of bulk and carry a real good strong, long stapled white wool,” he said. “They are a really productive team and a fine example of the Australian Merino.”
Both the ram and the ewe in the pair were ET bred.
The upstanding ram, which measures 21.8 micron, 3.0M standard deviation (SD), 13.8 per cent co-efficient of variation (CV) and 99.4pc comfort factor is by East Mundalla Jonty and out of St Quentin 406, which was sahsed the supreme exhibit at the 2013 Wagin Woolorama.
The classy ewe measures 22.1 micron, 3.5 SD, 15.8 CV and 99.1pc comfort factor and is by St Quentin 382 and out of East Mundalla Jonty-Woodyarrup Nic blood ewe. In reserve was the Victorian Pair exhibited by the McRae family, Oakbank, with a strong wool ram and ewe. While Oakbank has won the title before, Warren McRae said it was the first time they had done so with a Poll pair. Both sheep from the St Arnaud Vic-based stud are two years-old, upstanding and with an impressive cover of strong wool.
Judge Wes Daniell, White River Merino stud, Minnipa, SA, said they stood up beautifully, had a good top line, and rich, white wool.
The ram also won strong wool ram of the show and previously the supreme title at the Hay Merino Sheep Show last month. Its wool measured 21.6M, 3.1M SD, 14.4pc CV and 99.5pc CF.
The ewe, which won the champion ewe hogget at Hay, measured 20.6M, 3.1 SD, 15.0 CV and 99.6 CF.
The McGauchie family, Terrick West Poll Merino stud, Prairie, Vic, won the National March Shorn Pair in another unanimous decision by the judging panel. The judges initially had 18 pairs to consider on Friday morning, before picking the top six to judge after the National Pair that evening.
Claire McGauchie said their medium wool pair had both only cut their teeth the day before the competition.
The ram is by Coddington Poll 5034 that Pat Millear, Stud Park South, bought two years ago.