Fleece

Entries Open: 6 January 2025

Convenor: Ian Bagley

Welcome to the heart of fleece excellence at the Wānaka A&P Show! Since our humble beginnings, fleece competitions have been the fibre-rich backbone of our agricultural showcase. Nestled in tradition, these contests celebrate careful and selective breeding, and in 2023, we became the home of The New Zealand Fine Wool Supreme Fleece Competition. At the core of judgment are micron, clean fleece weight, and the unyielding metrics of length and strength. As a part of our innovative approach to the competition we initiated industry stand testing in combination with subjective apprasials.

Here, fleece isn't just a commodity; it's a testament to the region's agricultural prowess. Beyond the serious business of judging, here's the educational twist: ever wonder why micron yield matters? It's all about the fineness of those woolly fibres. And clean fleece weight? That's the real weight of the wool minus the dirt and grease.

As custodians of this fine tradition, we honour the dedicated farmers who have been with us, contributing their woolly treasures to the annual competition.