Elders clip award winners Robert and Jan Hayes with Elders district wool manager Rex Bennett.

NORTH-WEST Victorian wool growers, the Hayes family, have won the Elders Southern Supreme Clip of the Year for 2025/26 with a well-prepared WoolClip documented clip.

The family of Robert and Jan Hayes, and their son Tim and daughter-in-law Cindy Hayes runs a 2500 self-replacing Merino ewe flock alongside their Tarcombe Herefords stud near Ruffy in the Highlands Valley area.

At the awards presentation at Elders Ravenhall centre last week, Elders wool technical officer Brianna Spratling said the family’s 136-bale clip was presented to an exceptional standard, with no discrepancies and excellent preparation documented through WoolClip.

Robert Hayes told Sheep Central it was “unbelievable” to win the award.

“It just blew us away.”

The December 2024-shorn clip sold in July last year was classed by Bridgette McMullan with a fleece component of 77 percent, averaging 18.7 micron, with an outstanding yield of 73.6pc and just 0.7pc vegetable matter.

“Combined with excellent brightness and style, the clip stood out in a highly competitive field,” Ms Spratling said.

From left, Elders southern region wool manager Lachie Brown, with award winners Robert and Jan Hayes, and district wool manager Rex Bennett.

“Since this clip was produced, the family has faced the devastating impacts of the Longwood bushfire, suffering significant losses to livestock, fencing and infrastructure.”

Ms Spratling said the Hayes’ commitment to sheep breeding and the wool industry has long been recognized.

In 2016, they were awarded the McLennan-McColl Victorian Flock of the Year in 2016 and over the past decade, they have continued to invest in their enterprise with a purpose-built raised-board woolshed and undercover sheep yards.

Elders district wool manager Rex Bennett said the family runs the Merino flock with a balanced approach to structure, wool production and fertility.

“It was a well-prepared clip and just a credit to how they do things, present their stock.

“They are very good custodians and very humble people to deal with; they just get the fundamentals right year-in year-out.”

“They class their ewes themselves and join the main replacements to Borambil stud rams with a percentage of cast for age ewes to Border Leister rams, and when the season allows join a percentage of their Merino ewe lambs.

“This year they have endured the toughest of periods in their lives, with the Longwood bushfire tearing through their properties and leaving them with unimaginable losses to animals, infrastructure and fencing,” he said.

“In true Hayes character, they have stayed humble, and got on with the task to rebuild.”

Robert Hayes said they lost 650 sheep out of the 4500 on the property at the time of the fires, but managed to save their houses.

“We were fortunate; it has impacted us, but nowhere near as bad as a lot of others.”