Two SA Merino breeders -who have selflessly contributed to the industry- were bestowed service awards at Merino SA's centenary celebration at the Royal Adelaide Show on Thursday night.
Heather Dalla, Orrie Cowie stud, Warooka and Roger Fiebig, Hilton Heath stud, Sanderston, join 13 other recipients recognised for their 'dyed in the wool' contribution since 2007.
Merino SA awards committee chairman John Daniell acknowledged Mrs Dalla term on the board from 2006 but said her greatest contribution has been her behind the scenes work encouraging and sharing her knowledge with the next generation and promoting the industry to the wider public through manning the Merino SA site at the show and selling promotional items.
"Over the years she has supplied pens of lambs at the show for our city friends to pat and could often be seen explaining the virtues of the Merino sheep to the more urbanised families in our society," Mr Daniell said.
Mrs Dalla was an inaugural committee member of the SA Sheep Expo and contributed strongly to the school's wether competition, as well as being a member of SA Sheep Industry Development Board.
Her grandparents Vic and Judy Murdoch founded the Orrie Cowie stud and Mrs Dalla has been a great role model for other women in the industry, so it is fitting she was the first female recipient of the Merino SA service award.
"I feel very honoured because I have a passion for this industry, I have a passion for the fibre we produce and a passion for helping our urban people understand our industry and how we need each other,": she said.
"No other fibre in the world emulates it and it is the answer to a lot of our environmental problems if everyone fully understood it."
Mrs Dalla's five children are all passionate about the industry including John who runs the Orrie Cowie stud with her, Tim who is the general manager of the iconic Collinsville stud at Hallett and daughter Sally-Anne who runs a shearing contracting business with her husband.
Making Mr Fiebig's award even more special his late father Norm - who founded the Hilton Heath stud in the mid 1960s -was the first service award recipient.
"He was a very grateful, passionate man and I have probably followed those footsteps," he said.
"I do it because I love the industry, to get a recognition like that I was stoked."
Mr Fiebig served for 16 years on the Merino SA committee until recently retiring in 2020.
This included two years as a president from 2014-16 when he also served on the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders.
He has worked tirelessly for the school wether competition- assisting up to eight schools at one time- and believes it could be the "world's largest livestock class".
Mr Daniell said arguably Mr Fiebig's greatest achievements were being president when SA hosted the Merino Insight conference which was a resounding success and chairing the SA Sire Evaluation trial since its inception in 2017.
The trial which is one of a few around Australia benchmarks the best young Merino sires measuring their progeny for a wide range of measured and subjective traits.
