Cunderdin students sweeps top placings in Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days Junior Sheep Judging Compeition

WA College of Agriculture — Cunderdin students swept the major Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days Junior Sheep Judging Competition awards. The annual competition brought 51 students to the Ram Marquee site on August 24, representing five educational schools including WA College of Agriculture - Cunderdin, WA College of Agriculture - Harvey, WA College of Agriculture - Narrogin, WA College of Agriculture - Morawa and Kelmscott Senior High School. Their task was to judge four sheep and place them from first to last according to their production and profitable outlook by examining the individual sheep’s visual appearance and data figures The students’ selection of best performing to least productive sheep was then compared with the placements of the two judges, Michael O’Neil and Fraser House, with the most accurate accounts gaining students top-place award standings. The first placegetter in the junior Merino sheep judging competition was WA College of Agriculture — Cunderdin graduate Chloe Taylor, 18, who earned a total of 144 points, with WACA — Cunderdin students Zarah Squiers, 16, a close second on 143 points and Jacob Smith, 17, in third place on 142 points. In the junior meat sheep judging competition, the placegetters were all students of WA College of Agriculture - Cunderdin, with Georgia Hamersley, 17, in first place on 145 points, Leah Taylor in second place on 134 points and Zarah Squiers in third place. The judges commented that many of the students were very skilled in their assessment of the sheep and made very good comments in their selection of placings. Chloe Taylor said she attributed her success in the competition to her recent traineeship with Westcoast Wool and Livestock. “I started my traineeship in July and it prepared me for this competition,” she said. “My goal is to become a livestock agent.” Ms Hamersley, whose parents farm in Walkaway, said it was her WA State championship win in junior Merino judging at last year’s Perth Royal Show that cemented her success at Dowerin. “I selected the sheep in order of my personal preference,” she said. Mr O’Neil said the sheep were all sound and the judges placement order was down to any experienced dislikes. WA College of Agriculture - Morawa farm manger Leanne Grant-Williams gave appreciation to Breeders’ Best stud principal Craig Heggerton of Kojonup, for supplying the Poll Dorset rams for the meat sheep judging. The Merino hogget ewes were supplied from the Muresk Institute’s Superior Sire Evaluation Project. The students who were top placegetters are now eligible to compete at the State championships to be held at the Perth Royal Show in September.