KEEN young Merino judge Kurt Wise admits to being a little bit sneaky to get into his first junior judging competition at the Royal Perth Show.
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At age 15, after gaining eligibility at country shows he should have had to wait one more year to get into the Perth competition and win the wool and the sheep junior judging.
“I wasn’t going to wait another year," he said.
It was the start of a winning streak that led him to the Royal Melbourne Show last week.
Kurt, now 20, of Woodanilling, won the National Merino Sheep Judging Competition in Melbourne, defeating Cameron Cox, 16, from Mudgee, NSW, and third placegetter Phillip Picone, 24, from Blackall in Queensland.
“It’s bloody brilliant to win it,” Kurt said.
Last year Kurt won the National Wool Judging Competition and this year watched his older brother Rick, 21, win the event, to complete a Western Australian double act.
Kurt attributed his judging skills to working with his father Clinton, grandfather Max and brother with their Wililoo Merino Stud and with his Murrey Grey stud.
The young judge is also a keen bantam breeder and said he learned how to compare quality within a breed standard by working with poultry.
Brother, Rick Wise, said his win in the National Merino Fleece Judging competition in Melbourne came after coming second in the state event three times, twice to his brother. Rick had also placed third in the national Merino judging.
“The next step is the National Merino Judging because he (Kurt) can’t compete in it now.”
Queensland’s entry in the fleece judging Sam Selmos, 22, from Longreach was second, ahead of James Hoban, 24, from Culvernden, New Zealand.
