2017 Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Bendigo

WA Merino breeders shine

Excerpt from Article written by Jodie Rintoul, Farm Weekly, Thursday 20^th July 2017

Another fine-medium Poll sire, this time from the Blight family’s Seymour Park stud, Highbury, also caught the judges’ eyes and captured five broad ribbons including those for champion March shorn ram and junior champion ram of show.

Mr Wilson said the ram was an outstanding animal.

“He has a tremendous barrel, great spring of rib, a good structure, depth of jaw and good purity,” he said.

“He also carries a soft, well-handling, bright, white wool down to the floor boards and has tremendous length of staple for a March shorn ram. He is a remarkable young sheep.”

The ram, which is still carrying its lamb teeth, started its run to the top by winning the March shorn fine-medium wool class for Poll Merino rams showing no permanent teeth ahead of nine other sires.

From there it went onto be sashed the champion March shorn fine-medium wool Poll Merino ram, reserve champion fine-medium wool Poll Merino ram, junior champion fine-medium wool ram.

The outstanding youngster is by Seymour Park George and carried wool figures of 20.6 micron, 3.1 SD, 15.0 CV and 99.6pc CF.

Seymour Park stud wins WA fleece ribbon

Excerpt from Article written by Jodie Rintoul, Farm Weekly, Thursday 20^th July 2017

Western Australian wool growers were among the winners last week at the 17th Australian Fleece Competition at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria.

The Australian Fleece Competition this year attracted almost 420 entries from more than 200 exhibitors from all States and is the largest fully measured fleece competition in the world.

The Blight family, Seymour Park stud, Highbury, who were only entering the competition for a second time, were awarded the top WA award and took home the champion WA fleece ribbon.

The champion fleece finished on 85.47 points and placed first in the medium stud ram, 20.6-22.0 micron class.

The fleece, which was one of four entered by the Blight family, measured 21.1 micron, 17.1 CV, 98.6 per cent comfort factor, 124mm staple length, 44N/kt staple strength, 69.2pc yield, 11.4 kilograms greasy fleece weight and 7.9kg clean fleece weight.

It recorded a value of 1358 cents/kilogram clean and 939c/kg greasy for a fleece value of $107.25.

The winning fleece was off a shed-prepared ram from the stud which contained pure Seymour Park bloodlines.