To mark the importance of the wool and to incentive manufacturers to achieve higher standards of refinement and excellence of this noble fiber. This is the aim of Extrafine Wool Trophy and Vellus Aureum Trophy, two prizes established by Ermenegildo Zegna, the Italian luxury garment manufacturer, whose ceremony was held in Sidney in April. Both the awards are open to Australian and New Zealand farmers. For the 2016 edition, the winner of Extrafine Wool Trophy (born in 1963), intended to recognize the commitment of Australian breeders for the quality of this fiber, in association with the Australian Superfine Wool Growers’ Association, are Ed and Jill Hundy (New South Wales), the second place was of Allan and Carolyn Phillips (Tasmania) and the third went to Andrew and Penny Hundy (New South Wales ). The Vellus Aureum Trophy since 2002 recognizes the absolute pursuit of the finest wool in the world, measuring a maximum of 13.9 microns; this year the award has been appointed to David Rowbottom, Bradley Sandlant in second place and Susan Rowbottom at the third place. “Fleeces who have won the first and the second place of this year’s Vellus Aureum Trophy – said Paolo Zegna, Presidente of the Group, in assigning the awards – are respectively 9.9 and 9.8 microns, and they beat the previous finesse’s world record. I thank the Australian Superfine Wool Growers’ Association and all those who helped make this edition of the trophies a success, in terms of number of participants fleeces and for their very high quality.”
