Merino Fleece Best

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31837, 15 November 1968, Page 14

Merino Fleece Best

The best fleece in (he woo! section of the show was exhibited by the Estate of H. Gibson, of Malvern Downs, Tarras. It was a stud Merino ram fleece of 70/64s Bradford count and in the grease weighed 161 b. It was given 96 points out of 100.

The judges, Messrs V. M. Collins, of Christchurch, and F. Walker, of Auckland, said that this was an excellent specimen for colour, evenness of quality, and weight of Heece. It won the Pyne and Boyle Challenge Cup for the best fleece in the show and also the Canterbury Sheepowners’ Federation gold medal for the best fleece of 52s count or finer.

A stud Corriedaie rain fleece from Robert Robinson, of Ashburton, won the Dalgety and New Zealand Loan, Ltd. challenge trophy for the best Corriedale fleece. In the grease it weighed 191 b. Mr Robinson also won the Storry Challenge Cup for most points in the section. The judges said that the Merino and Corriedale fleeces were of a very high standard

and the prize-winning fleeces in these sections were as good as could be seen anywhere in New Zealand. Coarser wool entries were small in number and in many cases were not up to show standard. The presentation of the fleeces in the main was very good, but some showed poor skirting and one or two entries were badly shorn, with

far too many second cuts showing throughout the fleeces. This, the judges said, was a serious fault in fine wool clips, particularly from the point of view of the manufacturing trade. Seasonal conditions in some areas had affected the soundness of several entries and quite a few hogget fleeces appeared to have had a check at weaning time.