THE champion flock of maiden ewes from the three Central West Merino ewe competitions has come from Peter Stuckey's Murtonga Pastoral commercial flock at Condobolin.
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For 23 years the Central and Western Ewe Competition has put first placegetters of the Ted Little (Trundle), Don Brown (Condobolin) and Doug Bicket (Parkes) memorial competitions head-to-head, as well as second-placed teams.
And it was the 17th time a Condobolin flock has taken top title when Murtonga Pastoral's was announced the winner on March 3.
This year the judges were Michael Corkhill of Grassy Creek Merino stud, Reids Flat, and Michael Elmes of Smart Stock, Narrandera.
Mr Elmes said that Mr Stuckey's sheep were clear winners.
"They were a standout flock. It was a good number of very well-presented young sheep," he said.
"There is not a lot you can say in detriment to them."
Mr Elmes said the competing flocks had all been born into a good year.
Annual entrants in the Don Brown Memorial competition, Murtonga Pastoral, displayed 815 2020-drop Bundemar-blood ewes, which were joined for May/June lambing and had been shorn in September 2021.
Last year they joined 2700 ewes to Merino rams.
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"We have had a few good seasons so these sheep have certainly had it good nutrition-wise," Mr Stuckey said.
In second was Geoff, Phil and Jasmine Cole who join 980 ewes at Pindari, Mandagery, with a quarter of those going to a Suffolk ram and the balance back to the Merino.
Winners of the Doug Bicket Memorial competition, they displayed 180 spring 2020-drop Langdene-blood ewes, July-shorn, that were classed out by Garry Cox at 33pc.
The Coles target a 17 to 18-micron fleece with an average wool cut of seven kilograms in the adult ewes.
"They were magnificent wool sheep," Mr Elmes said.
"Wool quality was just outstanding.
"They were well-nourished and they were handling that environment extremely well.
"They'd had a couple of inches of rain on them about two days before and they handled that very well.
"There were just a few structural things in those sheep.
"But they were about 17 micron and cutting a bit over seven kilograms and [Geoff] really didn't need to do anything to them at all," said Mr Elmes.
Commenting on the industry more broadly Mr Elmes said the shearer shortage is an issue on everyone's lips but one that has to be put down on paper.
"What you have to do is write letters to your local politician, your Federal politician and whoever else," he said.
"It's got to be solved at the political level.
"You've got to tell the politicians we are in crisis.
"It's only hearsay [when you're talking to me] unless you can actually put it down on paper."
Mr Elmes said the solution lies in visa holders.
"We need visa card holders from South Africa, Mexico, South America and New Zealand to get over here.
"Relying on Australians to fill the gaps is not the answer.
"People are putting up with it in 2022 but if it's there again in 2023 you may find there will be a mass exodus of sheep."
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