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Best fleeces off to the east

Headshot of Bob Garnant
Bob GarnantCountryman
Seymour Park Poll Merino stud co-principal Clinton Blight has seven fleeces entered in the National Fleece Show, hoping to back up his previous wins at Bendigo.
Camera IconSeymour Park Poll Merino stud co-principal Clinton Blight has seven fleeces entered in the National Fleece Show, hoping to back up his previous wins at Bendigo. Credit: Bob Garnant/Countryman, Bob Garnant

Merino fleeces produced in WA are heading to the annual Australian Fleece Show, the world’s largest fleece competition, that is part of the Australian Sheep and Wool Show taking place at Bendigo from July 16 to 18.

Seymour Park Poll Merino stud co-principal Clinton Blight said he had sent seven fleeces this year.

“I regard this competition as our premier event in which we can represent some of the best polled genetics from WA to our Eastern States counterparts,” he said.

“It’s a good opportunity to see how our stud’s poll genetics compare with the rest of Australia.

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“This fleece competition also offers complete measured testing as part of the judging criteria, which gives a true, accurate reflection of their worth.”

While the Bendigo show was cancelled last year because of COVID-19, Mr Blight was successful in both 2019 and 2018 when his fleece entries won champion medium wool awards.

In 2019, the winning fleece was shorn off a Poll Merino ram sired by the stud’s ram George, a previous broad-ribbon winner at Bendigo.

The 12.5kg greasy fleece measured 21 microns with a yield of 73.5 per cent, and a hauteur of 106mm, with a staple length of 125mm.

Also awarded WA’s best, the Seymour Park fleece scored 93 points out of a possible 100, had a clean price of 2130¢/kg and was valued at $195.92.

In 2018, the Seymour Park winning fleece was shorn from a ewe, winning both the champion medium wool award and reserve grand champion fleece of the show award.

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