Vic, Tassie and NSW growers dominate the Zegna awards

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Vernon Graham and Hannah Sparks

27 Mar 2020, 4:35 p.m.

GOLDEN FLEECE: President of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, Paolo Zegna, with the Vellus Aureum winners, David and Susan Rowbottom, Rowensville, St Helens, Vic.

GOLDEN FLEECE: President of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, Paolo Zegna, with the Vellus Aureum winners, David and Susan Rowbottom, Rowensville, St Helens, Vic.

David and Susan Rowbottom from Rowensville, St Helens, in south-west Victoria, have added a sixth Vellus Aureum Trophy for producing the finest Merino fleece in the world.

Their winning 10.6 micron wether fleece weighed 0.86kg and scored 89.60 points.

The Rowbottoms, who have also finished second in the competition four times, run 3000 Merinos including a flock of between 600 and 700 special ultrafines.

And Tasmanian growers have finished first and second in the Ermenegildo Zegna Superfine Wool Trophy.

Regular award entrants, Allan and Carolyn Phillips, Glen Stuart, Deddington, Tas, took the Zegna Trophy for the first time with a bale of 14.6 micron wool.

The runners-up were Simon and Anne Louise Cameron, Kingston, Conara.

The Phillips, who shear about 3000 superfine sheep a year and operate the Glen Stuart Merino stud, finished second last year.

KEEPING NSW FLAG FLYING: Danny and Megan Picker, Hillcreston Park, Bigga were runners-up in this year's Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy.

KEEPING NSW FLAG FLYING: Danny and Megan Picker, Hillcreston Park, Bigga were runners-up in this year's Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy.

Third was prolific award winner, Ed Hundy, Windradeen, Pyramul, NSW, with fellow NSW growers, David and Angie Waters, Tarrangower, Hillgrove, fourth, and David and Betty Cameron, Gowrie, Guyra, fifth.

Both the Zegna Superfine Trophy and Vellus Aureum Award are given each year by Italian luxury menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna to encourage producers to keep striving to improve their superfine and ultrafine clips.

The Zegna trophy is now in its 57th year while the Vellus Aureum award was introduced in 2000.

The Rowbottoms' son Aaron and daughter-in-law Rebecca, Myndarra, Koroit, Vic, finished third in the Vellus Aureum after placing second last year.

Splitting them this year was an 11.3-micron fleece entered by Danny and Megan Picker, Hillcreston Park, Bigga, NSW.

Fourth was David and Katherine Picker, Clearhill, Bigga, with Heather, Stephen and William Reid, Kooringa Farming, Kooringa, South Australia, fifth.

The Rowbottoms' finest fleece ever was a winning unbeaten world record 9.9 micron entry in 2016.

All wool was judged by independent judges according to a strict set of criteria including fineness, style, strength, colour and evenness.

"We've been honouring the best quality wool for over 50 years now and especially this year, the results of the Ermenegildo Zegna Wool trophies are excellent, not only in terms of number of farms participating in the competitions but also in terms of the high quality achieved," president of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, Paolo Zegna, said.

"This despite having very difficult weather conditions with persistent and tough drought which heavily harmed some areas of Australia.

"A deep personal thanks goes also to the Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association for its great commitment to support the participation of its members in our competitions."

All fleeces and wool lots entered in the two competitions are purchased by the Zegna Group.

A selection of the best of them is transformed into the top line fabrics and finished products in the Ermenegildo Zegna collections.

First, second and third place were awarded $12,500, $7500 and $5000 respectively and a silver plate. They also received a personalised trophy and three cut lengths of fabric produced by Zegna with the name of their property written in the woven selvedge.

Zegna Superfine Wool Trophy

  • Ist - Allan and Carolyn Phillips of Glen Stuart, Deddington, Tas

  • 2nd - Simon and Ann Louise Cameron, Kingston, Conara, Tas

  • 3rd - Ed Hundy, Windradeen Mudgee, Pyramul, NSW

  • 4th - David and Angie Waters, Tarrangower Merinos, Hillgrove, NSW

  • 5th - David and Betty Cameron, Gowrie, Guyra, NSW

  • 6th - Clive and Margaret Smith, Mulgowan, Amiens, Qld

  • 7th - Rodney and Carol Westmore, Patterdale, Deddington, Tas

  • 9th - Robert Freeman, Rose Villa, Ross, Tas

  • 10th - J Fletcher and Son, Kentucky Station, Kentucky, NSW.

Vellus Aureum Trophy

  • 1st - David and Susan Rowbotton, Rowennsville, St Helens, Vic

  • 2nd- Danny and Megan Picker, Hillcreston Park, Bigga, NSW

  • 3rd - Aaron and Rebecca Rowbottom, Myndarra, Koroit, Vic

  • 4th - David and Katherine Picker, Clearhill, Bigga, NSW

  • 5th - Heather, Stephen and William Reid, Kooringa Farming, Koorringa, SA.

Instead of a presentation dinner due to the coronavirus this year, Zegna also provided a 50 per cent subsidy to several growers to drought-proof their properties.