Cloverleaf Corriedale Stud fleece has outclassed the rest to claim Melbourne Royal’s J.F. Guthrie Perpetual Trophy.
The trophy, named after a pioneering sheep breeder, recognises the most valuable Corriedale ram’s fleece and has been awarded since 1955.
The Bullengarook stud fleeces saw a successful show, also securing Most Valuable Corriedale Fleece, Best Non-Merino Fleece, and Champion Corriedale Fleece.
Cloverleaf Corriedale Stud also claimed a national title at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show at Bendigo in its first entry there, earlier this year.
Ronelle Walton, who runs Cloverleaf Corriedale Stud farm, was both surprised and delighted by the success.
“It was a big shock to me,” she said. “To have your name on a trophy with all the big hitters and to have national recognition is just amazing.”
“It’s been an exciting year and it all tells me that I’m on the right track.”
Ronelle was a tree-changer from northern Queensland who rarely had a need for a woollen jumper until her move to the Ranges in 2012.
She left behind inner city living and working in the sciences with a PHD in Biochemistry for an 84-acre property and a whole different way of living.
Cloverleaf Corriedale Stud farm is a sustainable and ethical farming social enterprise. Ronelle has a strong focus on connecting people to the property and the sheep.
Ronelle is a textile artist herself and uses centuries-old techniques to spin farm wool for garments.
She hosts workshops throughout the year at her property with the next planned for December 7, ‘sheep to skien’ designed for beginners.
She will be hosting a spinning workshop at Ballarat’s Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades on October 26, giving participants a hands-on opportunity to learn from an award-winning textile artist in fibre spinning.
