A near perfect day and plenty to see and do for the whole family attracted a big crowd to the 2024 Act Belong Commit Williams Gateway Expo last Saturday.
The crowd was not the only thing in abundance, the rides, displays, food trucks and fashion shows were all flourishing, while being complementary to the shearing competition and the blue ribbon event - the annual sheep show.
Like always the sheep show was well-supported by stud breeders from across the State, resulting in an action-packed day of judging for both the Merino and British and Australasian Sheep Breeds.
Despite the dry season and the struggling sheep markets, there was still plenty of enthusiasm in the ram shed as breeders took a day out from the grind of feeding and watering sheep to enjoy the company of other breeders and see the next generation of genetics coming through.
When the judging came to a conclusion, new pieces of history had been written for the sheep show, with names being added to the show's honour boards.
The Mullan family's Eastville Park stud, Wickepin and the Philipps family's Karinya Suffolk stud, Boyup Brook, will appear on the honour board when winning the highly-regarded Farm Weekly-sponsored breeders' group classes for two rams and two ewes in their respective sections for the first time.
Along with having the honour of winning the classes, they also had to fit a new portable CromTech Outback generator in with their teams on the way home.
With very few pens to spare in the ram shed, competition was red hot in both the Merino and British and Australasian Breeds judging rings as the judges made their way through the 135 Merino and Poll Merinos from 17 studs and 184 British and Australasian Sheep Breeds representing nine breeds from 25 studs.
In the Merino ring, the Mullan family's Eastville Park stud claimed its first win in the prestigious group class.
The Eastville Park team of classy Poll Merinos defeated three other teams in the hotly-contested class which saw the judges go back numerous times to the team to ensure they got their places right.
Judge Rod Norrish, Angenup stud, Kojonup, said all four teams in the line-up were very good teams and a credit to their breeders.
"They were very hard to split, as they all had their own virtues," Mr Norrish said.
"In the end we went for the Eastville Park team as for their sheer bulk and size plus they were just a bit more even.
"They are four big, long-bodied sheep with great softness throughout.
"They were also very even as a team."
The King family's Rangeview stud, Darkan, finished second with a Merino team, while a Merino team from the Rintoul family's Tilba Tilba stud, Williams, finished third.
In the individual classes in the Merino judging, it was the Ledwith family's Kolindale stud, Dudinin, which finished on top when an upstanding, strong wool Poll Merino ram from the stud was sashed the supreme exhibit and champion ram of show.
The champion ewe of show title went to a medium wool Poll Merino ewe from the Wise family's Wililoo stud, Woodanilling.
The British and Australasian Sheep Breeds section is always very well supported by exhibitors and this year was no different with nine breeds, from 25 separate studs, strutting their stuff through the ring.
Across the competition, 184 entries were received, which was a slight increase on last year as a result of the Australian White and UltraWhite breeds showing for the first time.
Judges Laurie Fairclough, Stockdale Poll Dorset and White Suffolk studs, York and Aaron Foster, Wendenlea Suffolk and White Suffolk studs, Boddington, had their work cut out for them, with Mr Fairclough judging the Poll Dorset, Wiltipoll, Ile de France, and South Suffolk classes and Mr Foster determining the White Suffolk, Suffolk, Texel, plus Australian White and UltraWhite shedding breeds, before joining forces in the interbreed competition.
The Poll Dorset, White Suffolk, and Suffolk breeds had the biggest numbers in the ring.
So therefore it was no surprise that in the interbreed competition that they were at the top of the line-ups.
After the seven titles were awarded White Suffolk exhibits had collected three ribbons, the Poll Dorset breed won two, and the Suffolk and Texel breeds went home with one a piece.
Shining brightly at the top of the pack in the interbreed judging was the Philipps family's Karinya Suffolk stud, Boyup Brook, when it won the coveted interbreed breeders group class for two rams and two ewes for the first time.
"It was hard to go past the Suffolk group," Mr Fairclough said.
"They were an outstanding group of sheep that were extremely even and great examples of the Suffolk breed.
"They carried the meat and muscle right through the body and had an excellent topline and neck.
"They were all from the same sire and really stood out in the ring."
The reserve ribbon in the interbreed breeders group class went to a group of Texels from the Glover family's JimJan stud, Boyup Brook.
"They were a really good even group," Mr Foster said.
"Their muscling was really good and they had good solid shoulders and hind quarters, but the Suffolks were just more even."
In the single interbreed classes in the British and Australasian Sheep Breeds ring, it was a White Suffolk ewe from Brenton and Harriet Addis' Yonga Downs stud, Broomehill, which won the supreme interbreed ribbon.
The classy ewe was also sashed, the champion interbreed ewe.
The reserve interbreed ewe ribbon was awarded to a Poll Dorset ewe from the Squiers family's Shirlee Downs Poll Dorset stud, Quairading.
In the interbreed ram class it was the Leween Poll Dorest stud, Narrogin, which prevailed when an upstanding young ram from the stud was sashed the champion interbreed ram ribbon.
Standing reserve in the class to the Leween ram and taking home the reserve interbreed ram ribbon was a White Suffolk ram from the Cole family's Sasimwa stud, York.
