Count Zegna, left, with Zegna Wool Trophy winners Simon and Ann Louise Cameron.

EXPERIENCED ultrafine wool producers from Tasmania and Victoria have dominated the prestigious 2025 Zegna Wool Awards.

The Tasmanian operation of Ann Louise and Simon Cameron won the 2025 Wool Trophy for a bale of ultrafine wool and the Vellus Aureum Trophy for a fleece was won for the eighth time by Victorian growers David and Susan Rowbottom.

Simon Cameron said the Kingston operation has won the trophy twice in the last five years and come second three times.

His 14.7 micron bale weighed about 120 kilograms. The wool had a tensile strength of 52 Newtons/kilotex with a yield of 79.6 percent.

Mr Cameron attributed the bale’s tensile strength and yield to long-time classer, Evelyn Archer, and said the award win was due to the efforts of a team of people on farm and in the shed, but the wool classer is “absolutely critical.”

“She does a fantastic job.”

Mr Cameron said Evelyn also teaches wool classing at TAFE, encouraging younger people into the industry.

Mr Cameron said the award competition was very tight.

“There were less than two points between first and fifth.”

He said it was a tough season for wool-growing, with the sheep providing the winning bales running in lightly timbered native grassland paddocks.

New South Wales growers at Hillcreston, Murray and Leanne Picker placed second and Richard Geeve from Stoneleigh in NSW placed third.

Rowbottoms win eighth Vellus Aureum Trophy

The winners of the Vellus Aureum Trophy for an ultrafine fleece was won by David and Susan Rowbottom, ‘Rowensville’ at St Helens in Victoria. Second place sent to Danny and Megan Picker at Hillcreston Park, NSW, and David and Susan’s son Aaron Rowbottom with wife Rebecca at ‘Myndarra’ at Orford in Victoria placed third.

The Rowbottoms hold the competition record with a 9.4 micron fleece that won the trophy in 2023, and this year’s winning 0.95kg coated fleece tested at 10.7 micron, scoring 89 points out of 100 on visual assessment.

Mr Rowbottom said it was tremendous to win the trophy for the eighth time.

“We aimed to win it once, but eight times is certainly a bonus.”

Mr Rowbottom said the dry winter made it better for growing ultrafine wool.

“The grass grew all year like a good autumn, so it was probably one of the best year’s we’ve ever had, it’s just got really dry over the last couple of months.”

Mr Rowbottom said there is a big shortage of ultrafine sub-14 micron wool globally.

“They just can’t get enough 10, 11 and 12 micron wool.”

The Rowensville wool is mostly sold under contract to European processors, so the impact of the Trump tariffs on its demand is unclear unless they affect the retail sale of garments in the United States.

“If retail sales keep up then the demand for this wool will stay good, but we don’t really know yet.”

The Rowensville clip is classed by David after the sheep are shorn by nephew Luke Rowbottom.

This year Zegna celebrated the 61st edition of its wool awards at an exclusive celebration hosted on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria by Count Paolo Zegna, third generation of the Zegna family and an Ermenegildo Zegna Group director.

The company said inherent excellence and unique characteristics of the ultrafine wool have allowed Zegna to continue to perfect the beauty, the quality, and the performance of its products. In particular, Australian wool has been, and continues to be, key to creating many of the brand’s most precious fabrics and exclusive garments, honouring our founder’s dream and upholding his legacy, the company said.

Count Zegna said the group has been on the quest for the extraordinary since 1963, supporting and working with the wool growers in their pursuit of the finest wool.

“To this day we remain committed to upholding this legacy as we continue to align with the evolving culture codes and recognising the importance of change.

“From redefining the way, we work with our partners – Schneider and Australian Wool Innovation, to the growing number of loyal and new participants and the unveiling of a new trophy,” he said.

“Change is a constant.

“We believe in honouring tradition while inspiring creativity and innovation giving us a feeling of anticipation and renewed sense of optimism when looking to the future of wool,” Count Zegna said.

The trophies this year featured a personalised sculpture by Italian artist, Giuseppe Ragazzini representing superior wool and Zegna’s “timeless values, which honour tradition and craftsmanship, inspire innovation, and uphold our founder’s vision for the future.”

The Rowbottom A team in the shearing shed, from left, David, grandson Jensen, Susan, Aaron and Luke.