Rangeview’s Poll Merino ram and Codji’s White Suffolk ewe take out supreme honours at Williams Gateway Expo

The Williams Gateway Expo sheep show presented some of WA’s best wool and meat sheep breeds which were put up under the scrutiny of judges for top awards in the Merino and Poll Merino section and the British and Australasian section. The show, held on April 15, had a thrilling outcome with a Rangeview Poll Merino ram bred in Darkan sashed supreme for its “purity” and a Codji Springs White Suffolk ewe bred in Pumphreys Bridge taking supreme honours for its “structure”. The successfully organised sheep show was part of the annual expo show held at the Williams Sportsground that provided family entertainment including a wool fashion parade, show bags and market stalls plus gourmet food and wine, fireworks and much more. Merino and Poll Merino Carrying on from the Wagin Woolorama sheep show in March, a medium wool Poll Merino ram, exhibited by the King family of Rangeview stud in Darkan, was awarded its second supreme title at Williams. The two-tooth ram, sired by Banavie 190 and out of Rangeview Blue 645, was named Lawry after the Kings won their first Woolorama purple sash after showing their for more than 40 years. Lawry travelled well to Williams, clinching a second victory to booster confidence the ram will represent WA very well at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo from July 14 to 16. Williams’ judges Steven Bolt, Preston Clarke and Paul Norrish were unanimous in their decision to award the Rangeview ram from the 124 expo entries. “The ram has beautiful productive skin and has purity right down to its toes and excellent balance throughout with great length and quality in the wool,” Mr Bolt said. Rangeview’s exhibit of one ram (Lawry) and one ewe also had the judges convinced the pair were best at Williams and would be the pair to beat at Bendigo. Before Lawry was given top honours, it was put up against the grand champion ewe of the expo show, a Superfine Merino ewe exhibited by the Rintoul family, of Tilba Tilba stud in Williams. Mr Clarke said the ewe was a “perfect package” and a “bale filler”. Tilba Tilba stud principal Stuart Rintoul was in a captive moment when the three judges awarded a win to his family’s group of four (two rams and two ewes). “The group of four Superfines was our first ever win defined by breeding a bigger framed type to cut more wool,” he said. British and Australasian A young under 1 1/2 year-old White Suffolk ewe was crowned supreme exhibit of the Williams Gateway Expo British and Australasian section with seven breeds from 23 exhibitors in contention. The two judges including Laurie Fairclough, of York and Brenton Addis, of Gnowangerup, put up the interbreed grand champion ewe, exhibited by the Marwick family, of Codji Springs White Suffolk stud in Pumphreys Bridge, against the interbreed grand champion ram, exhibited by the Squires family, of Shrilee Downs Poll Dorset stud in Quairading. Mr Addis said the ewe had presence with a great top-line, exceptional fleshing and structure and was filled-out in the twist and flank while the Poll Dorset ram had great structure and stood square with an exceptional top-line. It was the young ewe’s outlook that took precedence on the day giving Ryan and Courtney Marwick their first supreme title since they established Codji Springs in 2018. “We both had grandparents that farmed so this win is to honour our families who inspired us to breed quality sheep,” Mr Marwick said. The couple’s group of four (two rams and two ewes) were also sashed top honours at Williams.