Tasmania's top fleeces on display at national championships

By Simon McGuire
Tasmanian Country
26 Jul 2025
Wayne Walker

A pair of Tasmanian farmers have emerged victorious in the fleece section of the 25th Australian Sheep and Wool Show, with one also taking out a supreme champion title for its ewe.

Blackwood Corriedales at Evandale won the prize for the most valuable commercial non-merino above 26 microns.

Wayne Walker from Riverview farm at Gretna took home four awards in the fleece section, including being named Tasmanian champion, for his Polwarth sheep.

A Riverview stud ewe was also crowned the Supreme Champion Polwarth at the show in Bendigo.

Rams from the Gretna stud have taken out the supreme title in 2023, 2022 and 2019.

Mr Walker said the sheep and fleeces had been to a lot of shows around Tasmania in the lead-up to the Australian Sheep and Wool Show.

“We’ve been over there for 12 years and it’s become a pilgrimage,” he said.

“It’s good just to catch up with everyone and find out what’s going on in the world of sheep.”

Mr Walker was previously the president of the Polwarth Sheep Breeders Association of Australia.

“There’s not a lot of us left now and everyone is disappearing,” he said.

“People just got too old and no young people are taking on the roles.”

Peter Blackwood from Blackwood Corriedales said performing well at what was the premium fleece competition in Australia was very pleasing.

“The fleece we took over was actually from a commercial ewe but it’s aligned with what our breeding objectives are,” Mr Blackwood said.

“We’re looking at value for our sheep and making sure they’re productive.

“There was not a lot of work put into the ewe; it was just paddock-run.”

Mr Blackwood said he believed the weight and yield of the fleece were what separated it from the rest of the field at the show.

“Over the last 15 years we have generally put in fleeces, apart from a couple of years where we haven’t.

“We have won the champion fleece before but this is our first most valuable.

“We’re very production-driven, so it’s a pretty good pat on the back to get the most valuable fleece."

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