Sam Phillips has excelled at this year’s Junior Merino Judging Competition State Finals, beating a substantial field of competitors to come out on top. Sam, the son of Yarrawonga Merino Stud owners Steve and Liz Phillips, competed in Canberra earlier in the year, in order to qualify for the State Final, which was held at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The competitors were asked to judge and rank fleece according to its quality, with the aim of achieving a ranking similar to that of the expert over-judge. Eight finalists were then asked to make an impromptu speech, justifying their assessment of the wool. “I was pretty nervous, and tried not to think too much about the people in the room,” Sam said of the speech. Sam, who studies Agriculture and Primary Industries at Riverview in Sydney, is considering spending a year jackarooing when he completes the HSC at the end of next year. His long term goal, he says, is attend an Agricultural College, and possibly work on the family’s merino stud. September will see Sam head to Melbourne to join his fellow state finalists and compete in the National Final.