That passion was rewarded on Friday night at the Otago Merino Association's Merino Excellence Awards in Queenstown.
Not only did Benmore Station win the overall clip of the year title, having also won the stud flock category, but the family's other property, Ahuriri Downs, won the best commercial flock.
It was the third time that Bill and Kate Sutherland, and Andrew and Deidre Sutherland, have won the clip of the year title.
It was a thrill to win, particularly when it had been a very difficult season and with challenging prices, Bill Sutherland said.
But winning was not what entering the awards was all about. Rather it was about being together with other merino farmers and sharing ideas and supporting the industry and merino community, he said.
''We're a big family and when the going gets tough, we all stick together. This season would be a pretty good example of that,'' he said.
Mr Sutherland was confident that prices would improve, ''no doubt about that''.
Benmore Station is a 5400ha property, running about 10,000 merinos and 2500 halfbreds, along with cattle, while 3800ha Ahuriri Downs has about 4000 sheep, plus cattle.
A popular annual feature of the awards is the Child Cancer Foundation fleece competition. This year, the association was presented with a community service award, recognising that it had raised more than $200,000 for the foundation over the years.
Child Cancer Foundation representative Lynda Read said it received no government funding, so relied on organisations such as the Otago Merino Association to enable it to do its work.
The cost of running the foundation was about $5.2million a year and it spent its money ''very wisely'', she said.
In accepting the award, Dave Anderson, of Bog Roy Station, said it was ''so humbling'' that farmers were able to ''give a bit to give them [children] a chance''.
There were more than 130 fleeces entered this year and farmers were ''only to happy to help out'' such a worthwhile cause.
''It's just a lovely thing to be involved in,'' he said.
This year's winning Child Cancer Foundation fleece was entered by Cornaig Farms Ltd, in the Maniototo.
New Zealand Merino Company Otago and Central Otago area manager Andrew McNeill was ''honoured'' to accept the award on behalf of Peter Hore and his family, who were unable to attend.
Mr McNeill, who selected the fleece to enter in the competition, said he was looking for the ''wow factor'' and knew he had found it when he came across the fleece.
Mr Hore had previously won the competition and had vowed that he wanted to win it again. Every year, they worked hard to select a good fleece, Mr McNeill said.
Mr McNeill had also selected fleeces for other growers to enter in the competition and, while it had been a tough season for wool, the entries on display in Queenstown were ''absolutely fantastic''.
The Silere supplier of the year was won by Grant and Sue Pearce, from Raynham Farms, west of Darfield, with Glenpark Partnership second and Middlehurst Station third.
When it came to Silere - a joint venture between Silver Fern Farms and the New Zealand Merino Company - the biggest challenge was getting a greater supply, particularly over the next four to five months, Andy Perry, of Silver Fern Farms, said.
He urged farmers to ''think of the end game'' and support the initiative. Lamb had its challenges but what was being done with the Silere brand, he believed, was a `winner''.
It was getting it out of the commodity category and into value added.
Otago Merino Association chairman Simon Paterson said the Merino Excellence Awards were about bringing together a passionate group of farmers and industry representatives.
While it had been a challenging time for farmers, there were some positives, including Richard and Annabelle Subtil, from Omarama Station, winning the supreme award in the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards, and also a recent Country Calendar episode featuring Dave and Lisa Anderson, who farm Bog Roy Station, on the shores of Lake Benmore.
The New Zealand Merino Company was also working on ''some very encouraging stuff'' with its FeetFirst project, the aim of which was to develop a genomic breeding value that could predict the probability of an animal developing footrot, and other production science work, he said.
Clip of the Year
Adult - up to 16.6 micron: Nine Mile 1, Horseshoe 2, The Bend 3.16.6 17.1: Waikeri Downs 1, Craighurst 2, Matarae 3.17.1 17.7: Benmore 1, Ahuriri Downs 2, Stonehenge 3.17.7 20: Middlehurst 1, Armidale 2, Buscot 3.
Hogget - up to 15.7 micron: Matarae 1, The Bend 2, Twin Peaks 3.15.7 16.2: Waikeri Downs 1, Horseshoe 2, Lake Hawea 3.16.2 16.7: Benmore 1, Stonehenge 2, Ahuriri Downs 3.16.7 20: Armidale 1, Buscot 2, Middlehurst 3.
Commercial flock: runner up, Buscot; winner, Ahuriri Downs.
Stud flock: runner up, Middlehurst; winner, Benmore.
Overall winner: Benmore.
Child Cancer Fleece competition.
Super fine (17 micron and finer): Cornaig Farms 1, Merino Ridges 2, Happy Valley 3.
Fine (17 micron and coarser) Irishmans Creek 1, Tara Hills 2, Glenshee 3.
