Prolific online bidding delivers 'sale of year' for Ridgway Advance stud

Frenzied online bidding from across Australia has seen Ridgway Advance Poll Merino stud's ram sale, at Senior north of Bordertown, defy the seasonal odds.

While many ram sales averages have taken a tumble this year on the back of the widespread drought, stud principals David, Karen and Devon Ridgway posted a $422 lift in average on 2024's sale.

Their $2714 average, for 171 of 182 rams, has set a high benchmark for the remaining SA Merino ram sales.

The stud's success has not been overnight, working for the past couple of decades on a balanced Merino with a square body, carcase and doing ability, high fertility, as well as stylish wool.

The different states' number plates in the car park at the sale gave away the Australia-wide interest among the 35 registered bidders, but many more bidders logged onto AuctionsPlus from the NSW Riverina to WA.

Nutrien Naracoorte livestock manager Nick Heffernan, who was relaying the online bids, was working overtime to keep track of the 500 bids during the sale and to secure 64 lots for the 14 active bidders online.

One of these was a new client from the NSW Riverina who was switching from a Peppin blood influence and secured more than 40 rams through Nutrien's Wilson Russ, Warren.

In comparison, in 2024 there were 160 online bids at Ridgway Advance's sale with 23 lots secured from 36 lots bid on.

The sale's highest priced ram - Lot 7- which made $11,500 was also bought through AuctionsPlus and is heading to Adrian and Rosemary Newton, Combadery, Walgett, NSW.

Many of the rams had impressive yearling clean fleece weight Australian Sheep Breeding Values and negative fibre diameters, including the sale topper which had a figure of CFW of 36.1 and YFD of -2.5.

The sale topper, Ridgway Advance 0945, which was by a homebred sire RA1580, weighed 111 kilograms and was carrying a 16.3 micron fleece.

It also had a 44 millimetre eye muscle depth and 5mm of fat.

"We feel the Ridgeway Advance rams will add fibre, lustre and balance to the early maturity and fertility of our Combadery rams that we have picked up from the purchase of the top Kerin Poll rams over several years," Mr Newton said.

Long-time supporters Brad and Kerry Claughton, Claughton Family Trust, Yallunda Flat, were among the volume buyers in the shed.

They secured 13 rams for an $1831 average, paying to $3000.

Another loyal client Warrawee Pastoral, Kyalite, NSW, also bought 13 rams to a $4500 high, averaging $3223.

John and Cathy Beitz, Middle Ridge, Amby, Qld, made a two-day trip to Ridgway Advance and secured eight rams to a $8000 high and $4325 average.

David Ridgway said he was bit nervous leading into the sale, but was ecstatic with the result.

"I never expected to get a dearer sale than last year, I thought if we could get anywhere near a $2000 average and sell 150 rams I would have been happy with that," he said.

"You don't go into ram sales with high expectations, especially putting up so many rams like we do, but I had a lot of interest from calls around the place.

"I knew we had some new (buying interest) but I also knew the drought conditions were affecting some of our long-time Mallee clients who would be out."

Mr Ridgway said a significant number of studs were using their genetics, which was helping get their name out further into the commercial industry.

"Our sheep complement most types from the studs with fine wools in wet climate areas who have been using our genetics and getting good results, to the more traditional SA breeders who have been using our sheep over the years, but more so recently," he said.

"When we go to Bendigo (Australian Sheep & Wool Show) there are so many Ridgway Advance bred sheep that are doing well and even the recent sales like Glenville (stud) had two of the top-priced rams that were by Ridway Advance genetics."

Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood said it was a "fantastic result" with demand from nearly every state in Australia for their modern Merino type.

"It was the sale of the year so far without a doubt," he said.

Fellow Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Richard Miller said the sale's success was underpinned by online bidding and volume buyers being able to bid with confidence from the front row to the back row.

"I don't know personally if I have been involved with a ram sale that has had that much action online - often there were two or three on the same lot from AuctionsPlus before any bids in the barn ," he said.

He said buyers were still able to secure the rams they wanted in their price brackets.

"We need to remember this sheep and lamb job is off to the races now, but I fully understand that people need a year or two to consolidate cash flow," he said.

Nutrien Bordertown was the sole selling agent.

Ridgway Advance will be a volume vendor at the Classings Classic ram sale at Murray Bridge on September 1, with a team of 26 rams.