A Henry Lawson High School student is looking towards the west in preparation of the Merino Fleece Young Judging Championships in Perth.
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Stephanie Davies was shocked to be named the New South Wales champion in the Royal Agricultural Society/Australian Show Council Merino Fleece Young Judges competition at this year's Sydney Royal however she is now looking forward to taking part in the Australian and New Zealand Championships.
"I now have the opportunity to travel to Perth at the end of September to compete against the other state champions as well a representative from New Zealand in the Merino Fleece Young Judging Championships," Miss Davies said.
"I'm so surprised, I honestly didn't think I was going to make it to the orals section let alone winning."
At the 2019 Sydney Royal Easter Show judge Chris McDonnell of Gundagai said the 16-year-old was one of the best wool handlers in the competition.
"She was very correct in her observation and being able to distinguish between the fleeces, she also spoke very well, really she was a stand out," Mr McDonnell said.
Miss Davies' grandfather was a wool grower and she comes from a cropping and prime lamb property in Grenfell and attends The Henry Lawson High School.
She has been competing in junior judging for the last two years.
"There was a qualifier in my local town and I went alright so I just kept going to other qualifiers and now I'm here," Miss Davies said.
To get to this year's Sydney Royal Miss Davies competed in a Group 9 Show qualifier in Cootamundra at the end of 2018 where she placed first for meat sheep, second for fleece and second for fruit and vegetables.
In early 2019 she competed at a Group 10 qualifier, placing first in the grain judging, giving her another opportunity to compete at the state finals in Sydney.
"At the Sydney Royal Easter Show, I qualified for two finals out of my four categories; fruit and vegetables and merino fleeces," Miss Davies said.
In preparation for the national judging in Perth Miss Davies said she will continue to compete in the local show young judging competitions, as well as attending a training/ learning day in Bedgerebong which she attended during June.
She is also acting as an associate over judge of young judging competitions at both Eugowra and Parkes shows later this year.
In August she will be attending a training weekend in Dubbo with the other NSW category winners where she will also receive her NSW team blazer.
