LODDON Valley rams and ewes had presented well despite a tough season when they went under the judges’ eyes on Friday.
The annual stud merino breeders’ association field day saw Terrick West Poll Stud win the best pen of three rams for a second consecutive year.
Judge Luke Nicholls, of Macehill Merino in East Gippsland, shared judging duties with father Mal and studs presented good even pens in the ram and ewe competitions.
They gave the ram title - its fourth in the 22-year history of the competition - to Terrick West for a “very even pen ... nourished and nice wool”.
John Humbert’s Kedleston Park, Calivil was second and Forest Springs, Joel Joel, third.
In the ewe competition that the association promotes honouring former members, the top places were reversed with Kedleston Park claiming the 2025 title over Terrick West.
Mr Nicholls said Terrick West’s pen of three had very soft wool while it was the scrimping of Kedleston Park’s trio that caught his eye.
For a second year, the field day’s fleece competition attracted entries from association members and graziers using Loddon Valley genetics.
Prizes were shared between Norm Weir’s Kerrilyn stud, Dunluce, and Koole Vale, Costerfield who won the overall champion award.
Koole Vale principal Alan Harris said he aimed for a combined stud fleece average of 19 microns.
Lamenting the continued low prices for fleeces, described them as terrible, Mr Harris said: “We need more to be viable”.
He said the current greasy fleece price of 1100 cents was similar to the mini-boom of the 1990s.
“But we persist and it suits our country,” he said. “Three to four years from now and it will change.”
Friday’s field day saw most  studs with displays at Serpentine’s Janiember Park while on-property displays were at Terrick West, Kedleston Park, Kamarooka Park and Willera Merinos.
For Willera stock hand Mitch A’Vard, it was the end of an era. After three years at Willera, Mitch is having a slight career change as a stock agent with McKean McGregor.