The Wise family take first supreme honours at Rabobank WA Sheep Expo

The Wise family, of Wililoo Merino stud, in Woodanilling, have taken out the supreme title with their full wool Merino ram entry at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo and Sale. Wililoo studmaster Rick Wise was ecstatic after four Eastern States judges sashed the big upstanding four-tooth ram named Wililoo Hercules with the purple ribbon — representing the first supreme win for the Wise family since they established the stud prefix in 1980. Making it official at the expo show on August 18, judge Nigel Brumpton of Mt Ascot Merinos in Mitchell, Queensland, said the ram had one of the best hind quarters he had seen. “The ram stood very square and he has good white and bright wool all the way through,” he said. Mr Wise reflected back to when he held rams at the shows for his father when he was eight — that was 27 years ago. “This win validates our breeding direction of producing Merinos with tremendous structure and carcase — true dual-purpose types,” he said. The ram, named Wililoo Hercules was sired by Wililoo Hector and its run to the top started after being sashed with the champion August shorn fine-wool Merino ram title against two Rangeview ram. In winning the grand champion August shorn Merino ram title, Hercules came up against three other champions to take the win. In an earlier competition, Wililoo’s prized ram was judged grand champion Merino ram at the Williams Gateway Expo in April. With the supreme title win at Katanning, the Wise family became eligible to enter the ram in the Rabobank National Merino Show in Dubbo and compete for the National Supreme Merino title on August 24. “Lookout Dubbo here we come,” Mr Wise said. Also standing tall in the supreme judging line-up at Katanning was the grand champion August shorn Poll Merino ram, exhibited by the Blight family, of Seymour Park stud in Highbury. Judge Paul Meyer, of Mulloorie Merino and Poll Merinos in Brinkworth, South Australia, said the strong wool ram would cut a barrel of wool. “It’s structurally very correct,” he said. The Seymour Park four-tooth ram was earlier sashed with the supreme title at the Williams Gateway Expo in April, winning against the Wililoo ram. Also in the supreme line-up at Katanning was the grand champion March shorn Poll Merino ram exhibited by the Norrish family, of Angenup stud in Kojonup. Mr Meyer said this strong wool ram had good skin and carried its wool well while having a pure head for such a young sheep. The ram, bred through a syndicate ETS program, was also sashed the junior champion ram of the expo. The ewes in the supreme line-up included the grand champion August shorn Merino and Poll Merino ewes exhibited by the King family, of Rangeview stud in Darkan. The strong showing of Rangeview’s entries at the expo earned the King family their first Rabobank Trophy win for the best group of five. Rangeview studmaster Jeremy King said the group of two rams and three ewes represented superfine, fine and fine-medium types — true to what the stud bred. The Kings also took out the champion pairs title for a ram and ewe and were victorious in the Elanco Pro Ewe competition and took home the most points trophy. The third ewe in the supreme line-up was the grand champion March shorn Poll Merino ewe exhibited by the Campbell family of Coromandel stud in Gairdner. In the Elders Expo Four competition, the Ledwith family, of Kolindale stud in Dudinin won the title for a group of four rams shorn before April 20 and the Patterson family, of Woolkabin stud in Woodanilling won the title for rams shorn after April 20. The WA State Ag Schools Challenge competition was won by students from the WA College of Agriculture — Denmark.