VICTORIA Valley’s Rock-Bank stud scored the big double in the finewool classes at Bendigo.
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Stud owner John Crawford showed a 130 kg 22-month-old ram with an 18.1 micron fleece, affectionately called The Beast, to take the grand champion sash and won the ewe title with an 18.3 micron two-tooth.
Finewool Merino judge Sam Burbury said the ram was a massive animal that carried its well-marked wool well down the legs.
The grand champion finewool ewe had earlier helped Rock-Bank secure the Victorian pairs title for a fourth time, skilfully matched with another 18 micron Rock-Bank ram. It was the first time the stud had won the state pairs title with some finewools.
Mr Burbury said the judges went for the Rock-Bank pair for their evenness and wool coverage in what was a great lineup of sheep.
Though the Oakbank strongwool pair got a lot of votes for their size and scale, the 18 micron Rock-Bank ram held by John Crawford and the 18.3 micron ewe held by Nicole Crawford were “just a good true pair,” Mr Burbury said.
Mr Crawford said Rock-Bank was the only stud to have won the Victorian pairs title with ultrafine, superfine and now finewool Merinos.
His latest pairs win of the Tom Lewis Memorial trophy came just eight years after he established his Rock-Bank No. 2 finewool stud with 250 Merryville Stud ewes.
He estimated the two-year-old August-shorn ram in his winning pair would have 17 kilograms of wool on his back.
Mr Crawford said he had been deliberately focussing on winning the pairs with some finewools.
“But I’m one year early though, I’ve got a few surprises next year – there is plenty more to come.”
Mr Crawford said he was trying to breed as much length, thickness and softness on as big a frame as possible.
“I’m a bit greedy I want as much meat as I can get, but I will never sacrifice wool quality, quantity and evenness,” he said.
“All Merinos have never been anything but dual purpose – the better breeders in this country always bred frame plus high quality wool – as much as you can get on them – it has never changed.
“All that has changed is the wording, the gimmicks and the advertising.”
He said there was enormous demand for very woolly long-stapled soft sheep with coverage, thickness and lock structure.
“The industry at the moment is tending to go too plain and they are dragging too much wool off.
“If they keep cancelling wool pack orders, farmers will go broke.”
