| 19 Armidale Merino Stud score huge 99% The stud received awards in numerous other categories across various age and stock classes. Armidale produces a total of about 55 tonnes of wool a year, comprising about 75% from Merinos and most of the balance from halfbreds. Russell Fredric “On that judging criteria we actually had one fleece that was judged at 100% visually but lost a few points on wool weight.” MEAT & WOOL » Armidale Merino Stud Winning top prizes is nothing new for Armidale Merino Stud, but scoring 99% for a ewe fleece at this year’s Wanaka A & P Show is tantalisingly close to perfection. Featuring in multiple categories at the show, the stud was awarded Supreme Champion Fleece for a medium micron fleece submitted from a two-tooth ewe and was also awarded Champion Merino Fleece at the Upper Clutha A & P Society. Armidale is farmed by Simon and his wife, Sarah, who are the fifth generation on the property. The Wanaka show was not without strong competition, Simon says. “We were ecstatic. That’s probably the biggest display of merino fleeces that there’s been for many, many years. There was 240-odd fleeces from 50 or 60 different properties so that was really cool. The standard of fleeces was really good.” The score of 99 is the result of consistently trying to breed for quality “so it’s a combination of management and genetics coming together,” Simon says. “It was a really good, bright, well-styled wool with really good staple length. It lost half a point for crimp and half a point from freedom from fault. It was a good all round fleece for its micron type, it ticked all the boxes.” Armidale aims for a micron of 18.5 to 19.5. The stud received awards in numerous other categories across various age and stock classes, in addition to winning Supreme and Reserve Sheep and Reserve Supreme Fleece at the Central Otago A & P Show at Omakau. Last year, Armidale won in the supreme fleece categories in the Ranfurly, Omakau and Upper Clutha shows and the Royal Agricultural Society Golden Fleece. An aspect of the Wanaka show Simon likes is the inclusion of a good number of objective measurements that contribute to the scoring. “It’s not all just done on a judge’s assessment. [The fleeces] are all weighed and micron tested and staple strength tested, and so there’s scoring criteria around that sort of thing. It’s not as subjective as what it used to be.” Armidale produces a total of about 55 tonnes of wool a year, comprising about 75% from Merinos and most of the balance from halfbreds. About half its wool clip, comprising 250 bales, is supplied to high performance outdoor clothing manufacturer Devold. Devold want the longest possible staple length and pay a premium of $2 a kilogram for it “so we are really pushing our lengths”, Simon says. “We are really happy with what we are doing with Devold, they are really committed to purchasing quality wool, and that aligns with what we’re trying to achieve here at Armidale; that’s a real buzz. We’ve got a really good relationship with their team.” During the past five seasons there has been a focus on increasing parasite resistance / reducing faecal egg counts and dag scores and to reduce inputs while maintaining production. Based on the fleeces judged this show season, Simon believes it is possible to achieve a perfect score. “On that judging criteria we actually had one fleece that was judged at 100% visually but lost a few points on wool weight because it wasn’t quite heavy enough. “If it had been up to weight then we would’ve cracked it.”
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