Elders Southern Clip Award winners Noeleen and Alan Smith, centre, with from left, Gippsland district wool manager Madi Gallagher, and state wool manager Lachie Brown.

GIPPSLAND wool producer Alan Smith has wanted to win the black ram trophy for the Elders Southern Clip of the Year Award for almost 30 years.

Omeo growers Mr Smith and his wife Noeleen on Monday were awarded the clip award at the Sheepvention Rural Expo in Hamilton.

“It’s always what I wanted,” Mr Smith said.

He left school when he was 14 years old to work on the farm and has wanted to win the Elders black ram trophy since he took over the operation in 1997.

With a clip classed by their daughter Belinda Smith, their AS/Innisfail branded offering was the October 2024 winners in the 2024-25 competition. Another daughter, Jackie, also works in the operation.

The five generation operation is revolves around a self-replacing Merino flock that has been based on Pendarra blood for 28 years. The Smiths started with a soldier settlement block and now protect their property with a boundary fence electrified against wild dog incursions.

Elders wool quality assurance and marketing manager Sam Wan said the Smiths have been refining their selection and have continued on through two devastating bushfires.

She said their clip consistently displays beautifully even stylish soft-handling white wool.

In the award-winning clip, the fleece wool that was offered averaged 18.2 micron with a yield of 76 percent, staple length of 99mm, textile strength of 42 Newtons/kilotex and a vm content of 0.7pc.

Ms Wan said correct specis helped the efficiency of lotting, testing and marketing.

“Their classer presented a textbook speci and does this consistently.”

She said it is notable that Ms Smith has used WoolClip since 2023.

Mrs Smith said determination had kept the family in wool growing despite losing 1081 sheep in the Australia Day weekend bushfire in 2003.

“It’s all we know,” Mr Smith said.

The Smiths now run between 4200-4600 sheep, with a clip average of 18 micron.

Ms Smith said perseverance and keeping the sheep in good health was the formula for producing the winning clip.