IT WAS seventh-time lucky for Peter and Jayne Lette at the Australian Fleece Competition in Bendigo last week.
But as Jayne is a professional classer and Peter a shearer, their winning grand champion fleece had more to do with good management than luck.
The 16.1-micron ultrafine fleece, weighing 6kg, was from one of their housed ewes at their Conrayn Merino stud at Berridale, in the NSW Monaro region.
"We lost by a percentage of a point a few years and it really stuck in my craw," Peter said.
The Lettes' fleece had a yield of 76.3 per cent, was valued at $67.57 and was awarded the competition's highest score of 94.05.
The Lettes, who entered five fleeces, were also judged the most successful exhibitor.
The reserve champion award went to the Glen Bros' Wattlebank Merino stud with their 18.1-micron fleece, weighing 6.2kg and valued at $56.45. It scored 93.35 points.
In other results, Bruce and Tricia Pollard, who run a shedded ultrafine flock, Burrabliss Farms, exhibited the most-valuable fleece - a 12.5-micron fleece weighing 1kg and valued at $360.
An 11kg fleece, testing 22 micron, entered by AR Gunn of Forton in Tasmania won the champion commercial Merino award, while the champion crossbred entry was won by Bill Twigg, of Bears Lagoon, with his 28.8-micron fleece weighing 5.4kg.
Bill Johnson of Myola exhibited the most valuable crossbred fleece at $29.72.
This year's competition was organised by Landmark's Bendigo office and attracted more than 500 entries.
A feature of the competition is the exhibitors' choice of paying an entry fee or donating the fleece to the competition's designated charity.
Landmark district manager Athol Frederick said on average, 60 per cent of fleeces were pooled and auctioned for charity, with this year's proceeds going to the Leukemia Foundation.
With $47,000 already raised from nine years of competitions, Mr Frederick was confident of surpassing $50,000.
