Libby loves the sheep industry and hopes to help farmers in the future

In 2023, Libby Hardingham was the youngest competitor in the National Merino Fleece Young Judges competition held in Launceston, Tasmania.

Competing against people almost 10 years older than her, she said it was a scary but cool experience, being her first time going over somewhere new.

"I had no idea what to expect, what it was like in Tassie," Ms Hardingham said.

"Everyone was so supportive."

Ms Hardingham, who grew up at Muradup, didn't live on a farm but has always been around sheep with her dad being a shearer and mum a roustabout.

"We do family shearing once a year and my sisters both run Merinos and crossbreds, so we help them out a bit," she said.

"My grandparents had farms and my older sister Stacey and her partner also run a small flock of Merinos, which isn't quite so small anymore."

As a kid, Ms Hardingham grew up helping on her family's farms, as well as on her neighbours and family friends' farms.

"Mum's a cleaner and she goes out and cleans farmhouses, so on school holidays when I was a kid, we'd tag along and then end up going out with the farmer instead of helping mum," she said.

It was this growing up around Merinos which ignited Ms Hardingham's passion for the breed and for working with sheep.

"Even now, coming home from uni, I come home on weekends or study breaks and help out," she said.

"It's lambing time at the moment, which I really enjoy and I go and help my sister check the sheep.

"I really enjoy seeing all the little lambs and looking at the wool when we're in the shearing sheds.

"For as long as I can remember, we go down and do this family shearing for one of our family friends.

"I think they've got like 700 sheep and we do it over a weekend, my dad, my sister and her partner all do the shearing and then my mum did some of the rousing.

"We all chip in and tag team shearing a couple and throwing the fleeces."

Ms Hardingham is a former student of the WA College of Agriculture - Narrogin, where she did ATAR and a Certificate III in agriculture and advanced wool handling.

While boarding there, Ms Hardingham wanted a way to fill time on the weekends and after school hours, so she joined the sheep show team and this was where she got her first introduction to both sheep and wool judging.

"I was and I still get nervous before doing any judging, but I just trust myself and try to hope I know how to pick out a good fleece or the right animal," she said.

"I really enjoyed doing the judging and meeting the farmers and then being able to make that connection when I worked at Genstock where I was involved in helping collect semen from some of the rams that had been shown and inseminating their ewes, it's like a cool sort of start to finish journey."

In year 11, Ms Hardingham completed work experience with Genstock, which she really enjoyed, and has since gone back there during her university breaks doing a few weeks work as an AI technician and helping out in the ram shed.

"I really love the interactions with farmers as well, getting their tips and their insights on how they run their flocks, what they're looking for in the future and what really helps them," she said.

During her time at ag college Ms Hardingham competed in most junior judging competitions.

"The major ones were probably Wagin Woolorama and if you win at the local shows then you go on to compete at the Perth Royal Show and then at nationals," she said.

"I did a bit at the Albany Show as well in my last year at school and also at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale at Katanning which was more Merino judging."

When she finished school, it wasn't the end for Ms Hardingham in terms of being involved in the show ring as she continued handle sheep in the ring for her former mentor from ag school, Colin Batt.

"I went back and helped him exhibit his sheep and then competed in the Woolorama in the junior judging competitions, where I think I got first in fleece and maybe third in Merino judging two years ago," she said.

"Then this year, I got third place in fleece judging so I will be competing again in the State competition at this year's Perth Royal Show after winning the same competition last year."

As a result of winning the State fleece judging competition at last year's Perth Royal Show, in September this year, Ms Hardingham will travel to Adelaide to compete in the National Young Merino Fleece Judging Competition.

"I just love wool," Ms Hardingham said.

"As a kid, you don't fully understand what goes into it but being able to now see what goes into it, how you get it, like shearing a sheep and then what goes into processing and all that, it kind of fascinates me.

"I think that's why I do it, because I find it interesting and I want to learn more about it and then learn how I can help producers improve their wool clips."

Ms Hardingham has always been drawn towards the Merino breed because of its wool and its quality, as well as its heritage.

"The breed has changed a lot over the past 20 years," she said.

"Twenty years ago, Merinos had a lot more wrinkle, but now they are certainly a lot plainer which makes them easier to shear and easier to manage, as we sort of have a bit more animal welfare in mind.

"There has certainly been improvements in the genetic side of the breed and the genetic potential of the Merino."

Last year, Ms Hardingham went on an industry tour run by The Livestock Collective, which included a visit to the Australian Wool Testing Authority, the Dyson Jones wool store and an Elders auction.

"We saw how wool was tested and how it gets separated into different sections," she said.

"That was really cool to see and it's something I definitely want to get more involved in, but more so the genetic side of it and what traits correlate and what traits farmers are looking for in their wool side and how I can help with that."

Now, the 19-year-old is studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Murdoch University, majoring in animal science and animal health.

"I've always wanted to be a vet," Ms Hardingham said.

"I'm hoping to finish my ag degree first just because I feel like I'm getting a lot more out of the ag side, interacting with farmers and building connections throughout the industry which I'm really loving.

"Then (I'd) go into vet and livestock vet and the artificial breeding side of it all."

Ms Hardingham hopes by being a livestock vet and involved in artificial breeding programs with sheep and Merinos, she will be able to have the knowledge to answer farmers' questions when they have worries and doubts.

"(To) be like, look, we're trying to find a solution to these problems you're having or this is how you treat this animal and advising farmers but also listening to the farmers on what they can do and how I can help them," she said.

"I want to be there to help the farmers get through the rough times and be that positive side and show the new technology and research programs that are happening that farmers might not actually know about but that could be helping them."

She wants to be able to educate people who might not know certain things about the sheep and ag industry and would like to see more people involved in the industry as well.

"Encouraging people that aren't necessarily from a farming background or off a farm to get involved and just give it a go," Ms Hardingham said.

"Once you give it a go, you might actually really love it and want to be more involved in the industry."