Tamaleuca stud's Kevin Crook and Danni Wilson have travelled about 8500 kilometres this year, attending shows from the Qld Sheep Show at Charleville to Hay, NSW, Sheep Show and the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Vic, with considerable success, but they were thrilled with one of the major awards they won at their final show of the year.
The prestigious Lehmann Trophy for the best group of five August-shorn sheep had been on Mr Crook's bucket list since he first started showing sheep at Adelaide 20 years ago.
This year, the five judges gave his Poll Merinos the nod, impressed by the staple length and wool quality.
The two rams and three ewes represented were all by Tamaleuca sires with two of the ewes also reserve champions in their wool types.
"Last year we won the short wool group and three of the sheep are the same sheep we have brought back as long wools," he said.
Mr Crook said it was a good class to win as it showed the consistency of a stud's breeding program.
"They are all a very consistent type with large uncomplicated bodies but still a very good fleece of wool," he said.
Mr Crook said they enjoyed coming to Adelaide as it was well organised and the facilities were the best in Australia.
"A lot of work goes into showing full wools but I would hate to see it disappear, it would be a real shame for the industry," he said.
The winning March shorn group of five went to the Michael family, Nyowee stud, Balaklava and the March shorn group of three sheep was won by Terrick West, Prairie, Vic.
