Wairau wethers top trial

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 23

Wairau wethers top trial

Merino wethers from the Wairau Valley grew the most valuable fleeces during the four years of the Marlborough Merino wether trial. The commercial wether trial started in 1985, with teams of ten Merinos from 32 properties throughout Marlborough brought together at Richmond Brook Station in the Awatere Valley.

After an initial even-ing-up, a shearing field day has been held each year when all fleeces were objectively measured and valued. At this year’s shearing

on Tuesday, the Wye Hills team bred by Euan Rentoul took the top placing for accumulated fleece value from the top seven wethers at $1637. Bruce MacKenzie’s Dunbeath team was placed second ($1539) and Murray and Mary Jackson’s wethers from The Branch were third ($1493). Wye Hills’ wethers shore the most valuable fleeces in 1987, 1988 and at yesterday’s final shearing field day. This Saxon flock was founded in 1970, on 20 stud ewes and two rams from Reg Taylor’s Valleyfield stud, in Tasmania.

Mr Rentoul has selected for size, boldness and constitution. “You want a sheep that will bring the wool home, not leave it up the gully.” Wye Hills comprises 60 hectares of flat and 240 hectares of developed downs. The back country has been subdivided into a 480 hectare single-run wether block and a 320 hectare ewe flock fenced into three. Richmond Brook Station wethers weighed in with the heaviest bodyweight over four years, with Lawrence Pattie’s Haumoana team, of Seddon. placed second

and Graham and Bev Blacks’ Awapiri wethers third. The prize for the top over-all clean fleeceweight went to Richmond Brook, with Awapiri second and Murray Westenra’s Rossmore (Awatere Valley) third. Results from this year’s shearing were: Highest clean fleeceweight in relation to bodyweight, Wye Hills; highest average bodyweight off the shears, Awapiri; highest clean fleeceweight, Richmond Brook Station; highest value fleeces, Wye Hills 1, Leatham 2, Saltwater 3.