Karu Pastoral has won the 2024 Central West Zone Flock Ewe Competition.
The Crouch family, from Condobolin, took the title from five other entries. The Competition was held on Thursday, 29 February which six of the best Merino flocks from across the district.
This is the third time the family (Phillip, Bernadette, Harold, and Meg Crouch) after success in 2019 and 2020.
They said it was an “honour” and a “privilege” to win the 2024 Central West Zone Flock Ewe Competition.
The judges were Allan Dawson and Tony Inder, with associate judge Max Longhurst.
Judge Allan Dawson described the Karu Pastoral flock as “impressive”. He added the ewes were a great type with good wool quality, but it was their frame and structure that really impressed.
The Crouch family aimed to cut nine kilograms of bright white crimpy dust resistant wool at 20 microns. In 2022 the operation joined 1,900 ewes with a 91 per cent lambing rate. Karu Pastoral aims to improve lambing to 100 per cent. The family shears in June, with lambing in March/April.
They breed their own rams, ‘Big Weebah’, to use with the ewes. The Karu Pastoral flock is classed by Chris Bowman, who in the family’s words “plays a massive part” in their achievements.
One of the businesses’ aims is to increase grazing crops so they can grow out wether lambs quickly to sell off into the market.
The property is made up of 70 per cent black and 30 per cent red soil with a 400 millimetre average rainfall.
Ian and Nick Westcott (Peak Hill) placed second. The Westcott Family were the winners of this year’s Doug Bicket Memorial Ewe Competition in Parkes. Other competitors were the Jones Family (Booroola, Condobolin), The Gowing Family (Trundle), Chris and Greg Burke (Yarrabandai), and Chris and Liz Tanswell (Parkes).

ABOVE: Associate judge Max Longhurst from Bogan Gate, Allan Dawson, Winyar Poll Merinos Canowindra, Harold Crouch, Phillip Crouch, Meg Crouch, and Tony Inder, Allendale Merinos, Goolma at the 2024 Central West Zone Flock Ewe Competition presentation evening. Image Contributed.