WA stud tops sale results, with a leading ram sold to a Victorian buyer

WA Merino breeders were not only at the forefront of the awards in the Merino judging ring at this year's Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria, they were also among the top prices in the Merino ram sale held at the event.

Representing WA was the King family's Rangeview stud, Darkan, with seven August shorn Poll Merino rams and the Wise family's Wililoo stud, Woodanilling, with three August shorn Merino rams.

All up 26 studs, from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and WA offered 86 rams and four ewes, where 59 rams sold to a high of $16,000 and an average of $4508 - and all four ewes found new homes, to a top of $13,000 and an average of $8750.

In comparison, last year 81 rams sold from 102 offered to a top of $25,000 and an average of $4642.

Rangeview stud recorded the $16,000 top, marking a great event for the family.

Leading the way in the Rangeview offering was an upstanding fine-medium wool ram, which had been part of the stud's pair that won the national August shorn pair title.

The deep-bodied, stylish woolled ram attracted the attention of plenty of prospective buyers before it was finally knocked down to the Orrie Cowie stud, Nhill and the Oakbank stud, Gre Gre North, Victoria, in partnership.

The late July 2023-drop, ET-bred ram is by Rangeview Lawry and out of a Rock-Bank Rafer daughter, Rangeview 293.

It has wool figures of 18.2 micron, 2.8 SD, 15.3 CV, 99.4 per cent comfort factor.

Oakbank stud co-principal Jack McRae, a first-time buyer to Rangeview, picked the ram out as a potential sire for his stud when he first saw him.

"He is a beautiful ram with a nice barrel and he is good on his feet," Mr McRae said.

"He is also covered everywhere in a beautiful, white, well-nourished wool.

"He ticked all the boxes and I believe he was the standout ram in the sale."

Orrie Cowie stud principal John Dalla said the purchase marked the first time he had bought from Rangeview.

"I have been wanting to try their genetics for a while so when Jack McRae approached me to see what I thought of the ram and if I would be interested in buying the ram with him I thought I would give it a go," Mr Dalla said.

"I was very impressed with the depth of quality in the whole Rangeview team which gives me confidence he will work.

"I have also been told his dam is an incredible ewe so that was another reason to give him a go.

"He is a well-balanced ram with a high quality fine-medium wool."

Another ram in the Rangeview team also made five figures, for $10,000 to first-time buyers the Lette family, Conrayn stud, Berridale, NSW, in partnership with the Alcock family, Greenland stud, Bungarby, NSW.

The ram, which was sashed the grand champion August shorn superfine ram in the show, carries Rock-Bank Stevie bloodlines and has wool figures of 18.8 micron, 2.2 SD, 11.8 CV and 99.8pc CF.

Peter Lette said it was very hard to find a superfine Poll ram with the wool quality and size that the Rangeview ram displays and that was a major reason why they wanted to buy him.

"He has great make and shape, excellent structure, a beautiful head and is well-covered," Mr Lette said.

"When you open his wool up it draws you in, it has a lovely, soft tip to handle.

"He is a terrific sire and a very safe sheep which we will be able to use over a variety of ewes in our stud."

Equally happy to secure the ram was Greg Alcock.

"He is an excellent ram, you don't see many superfine rams with the scale and bone he has and a quality superfine wool all over," Mr Alcock said.

"He has a lovely combination of carcase and wool traits."

In addition to securing the Rangeview ram in partnership with the Alcock family, the Lettes purchased a second ram from the Rangeview team at $7000.

Mr Lette said this ram was a well-made sire which stood up very well and carried a lovely, free-growing fine wool.

"I fell in love with him when I first looked at him, as he has a lot of good attributes to like," he said.

This ram is a full ET-bred brother to the stud's $16,000 sale topping sire.

It has wool figures of 18.1 micron, 2.4 SD, 13.4 CV and 99.9pc CF.

"I am very keen to use both rams in the stud and see what they do," Mr Lette said.

"Our Poll stud is only relatively new so we are wanting to move it along and we think both these rams will help us do this."

The stud also sold its grand champion August shorn fine wool ram for $7500 to WL & WA Dennis, Trewidden stud, Warncoort, Victoria and its grand champion August shorn fine-medium wool ram for $7000 to Nareeb Nareeb stud, Nareeb, Victoria.The other two rams in the Rangeview team sold at $7000 to a Nutrien Ag Solutions Tasmanian account and $4000 to a South Australian account.

The seven Rangeview rams sold averaged $8357 and all were purchased by first time buyers to the stud.

Rangeview stud principal Jeremy King said clearing all seven rams was as much of a highlight as selling the top-priced ram.

"We were really happy they all sold given current conditions," Mr King said.

"We've only ever sold four rams in the sale, so to put seven in was a bit worrying but it paid off."

When it came to the Wililoo stud, it sold two of the three August shorn Merino rams it offered under the hammer at an average of $6500 and to a high of $9000, which was top Merino ram price and equal fourth top price overall.

Selling at $9000 in the Wililoo team was the stud's champion August shorn medium wool Merino ram by Wililoo Hercules.

The upstanding sire was purchased by the Brumpton family, Mount Ascot stud, Mitchell, Queensland and the Ashby family, North Ashrose stud, Gulnare, South Australia.

Mount Ascot principal Nigel Brumpton said they had used Wililoo genetics before and he was impressed by the ram's sire Hercules when he judged him at a show a few years ago.

"This ram is a big, upstanding sire with a beautiful head and outlook," Mr Brumpton said.

"He has great carcase and wool attributes and will certainly add to our flock."

North Ashrose stud principal Tom Ashby said the ram had great barrel and stretch, a good set of feet and legs and a powerful sire's head.

"It is getting very hard to find good Merino rams, so when we saw him in the pens we decided we would attempt to buy him," Mr Ashby said.

"We believe he will be a good outcross bloodline for our stud."

The ram has wool figures of 22.8 micron, 3.6 SD, 15.6 CV and 97.4pc CF.

Mr Ashby said the ram would go to South Australia first and be used for one joining at North Ashrose before heading to Queensland.

The other ram to sell in the Wililoo team was its team leader which made $4000 when it was knocked down to first-time buyers, the Roberts family, Victoria Downs stud, Morven, Queensland.

The massive ram which was sold with wool figures of 22.2 micron, 3.1 SD, 14.1 CV and 98.9pc CF, is also by Wililoo Hercules.

Buyer Will Roberts said he was looking for a big, free-growing ram to use in the family's stud which is based on a lot of Glendonald bloodlines.

"I was initially interested in the stud's second ram (which sold for $9000) but the more and more I thought about it, I decided this ram would be better for the job we want it to do," Mr Roberts said.

"He is a beautifully square sire with terrific depth.

"He stands up well and is so well-balanced."

The ram was the champion strong wool Merino ram at the Williams Gateway Expo this year.

The next best price after Rangeview's $16,000 was $15,000 and it was recorded by the Nerstane stud, Woolbrook, NSW, when it sold an August 2022-drop August shorn Poll Merino ram to Bungulla Partnership, Manilla, NSW.

The ram is a son of Glenlea Park 382 and has wool figures of 20.1 micron, 3.6 SD, 17.9 CV and 98.9pc CF.

In addition to selling the second top-priced ram in the sale, Nerstane also sold two August shorn 2023-drop ram Poll Merino rams both at $3000.

The third top price was $11,000 and achieving it was the Glendonald stud, Nhill, Victoria, for an August shorn Poll Merino ram.

The 20-month-old ram, which had wool figures of 19.7 micron, 2.6 SD, 13.0 CV and 99.7pc CF, was purchased by a buyer on AuctionsPlus.

Along with buying a ram from the Wililoo stud, the Roberts family, Victoria Downs stud, also purchased an August shorn Merino ram from the Glendonald stud at $8000.

This ram had wool figures of 20.5 micron, 3.2 SD, 15.7 CV and 99.6pc CF.

All up Glendonald sold five rams from its team of eight at an average of $5600.

Orrie Cowie stud was also among the top prices, selling one of the $9000 fourth equal top-priced rams.

The upstanding August shorn Poll Merino ram by King George has wool figures of 22.1 micron and 98.8pc CF.

Orrie Cowie also sold another two rams at $3000 from its team of four.

The Terrick West stud, Prawirie, Victoria, had a successful sale, clearing all five rams it offered to a top of $7000 and an average of $5400, while the Glenlea Park stud, Keith, South Australia, offered and sold three rams to a high of $5000 and an average of $3667.

Prior to the offering of rams, four elite ewes from the Collinsville stud, Hallett, South Australia, were offered in what was a first for the stud.

Topping the ewe offering for Collinsville was the first ewe offered when it sold for $13,000.

The ewe, which was sashed the champion August shorn strong wool Poll Merino ewe, was knocked down to Darriwell Poll Merino stud, Trundle, NSW and Towonga Poll Merino stud, Peak Hill, NSW, to be utilised in both stud's embryo transfer programs.

Darriwell stud classer Russell Jones said the ewe would be flushed later in the year, with its first lambs expected on the ground in April 2026.

The May 2023-drop ewe had wool figures of 20.4 micron, 2.5 SD, 12.2 CV and 99.9pc CF.

The ewe is sired by Emperor 170351 and out of Masterbuilt 170044.

Mr Jones said the top-priced ewe was a very big ewe at 120 kilograms.

"She's got a very good structure and is a very long-bodied ewe with beautiful wool on her," Mr Jones said.

He said the ewe would mix well with the Darriwell and Towonga genetics.

"We'll be able to embryo transfer the ewe to bring more progeny of that quality," Mr Jones said.

"That's what we're after, that body size and meat content."

A second August shorn Collinsville ewe, which was by Imperial 210318 and measured 19.1 micron and 99.7pc CF sold for $10,000 to a Nutrien Ag Solutions account.

Elders auctioneer Ross Milne said the sale met expectations.

"Good sheep always sell well, and I think that was proven today," Mr Milne said.

"Buyers were happy to invest in the sheep they wanted."