Yanco Ag wins NSW School Merino Wether Challenge 2021

At the Yanco Agricultural High School (YHAS), Leeton, the year 9 students studying in the Animal Management class embrace the challenge of preparing and showing Merino wethers for competition.

The 2021 School Merino Wether Challenge in NSW is the biggest one of this annual competition organised by the NSW Stud Merino Breeders' Association, with support from Australian Wool Innovation.

Students undertook mini workshops on topics including agricultural careers, sheep selection using measured and visual appraisal, animal husbandry, nutritional requirements, sheep and wool handling and judging, and the profit drivers in Merino sheep production.

Each school team collected six Merino wethers, purchased from the Egelabra Merino stud, Warren: they are paid from the sale of wool and the sheep, with profits returning to the school.

The wethers are normally shown during the two-day competition at the Rabobank National Merino Sheep Show and Sale in August at Dubbo.

But this year, due to COVID restrictions no students were present when the wethers were shorn at the Dubbo TAFE and where the champion team for 2021 was exhibited by students from the Yanco Agricultural High School.

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YAHS has been involved with the School's Wether Challenge since it first started and agriculture teacher Stuart McVittie, said the students put a lot of time into and get a lot of enjoyment from being involved in the challenge.

"This is a fantastic achievement," Mr McVittie said.

"The students are always excited to get their wethers for the challenge and look forward to being in the yards with them as often as possible. They were very excited to learn that they had the winning team."

Mr McVittie noted the Year 9 students participate in the challenge through studying Animal Management as an elective for Years 9 and 10.

"They choose this subject to continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of sheep and the industry," he said.

"The course focuses on the sheep industry, sheep breeds, sheep husbandry, pests and diseases, visual and condition scoring, wool, fleece judging, and genetics, with students selecting sires for the following year's AI program."

The students filmed a short video on the processes of preparing the wethers for the challenge and it can be viewed through the school's Facebook page.

"The students are always excited to get their wethers for the challenge and look forward to being in the yards with them as often as possible," Mr McVittie said.

"They were very excited to learn that they had the winning team."

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