Strong stud-to-stud sales highlight solid Classings Classic Poll Merino sale
It was a who's who of South Australian Poll Merino breeders and leading commercial graziers in what was another solid Classings Classic ram sale at the Murray Bridge Racecourse on Monday.
There was also strong interstate bidding over AuctionsPlus on the 98 ram line-up from 24 vendors spread across three states.
Even what has become the premiere ram sale on the SA calendar wasn't immune from the seasonal challenges of the past 18 months though, with some subdued patches of bidding and good value for money.
In the final sale breakdown, 83 of 98 rams had sold at the fall of the final hammer, to a top of $21,000 and average of $4572.
There were several rams that attracted strong bidding, but were just shy of reserves set by vendors.
The result was shy of the $5777 average of 2024, when 83 of 103 rams sold.
The sale's largest vendors included Ridgway Advance, Senior, which sold 22 rams to $10,000, averaging $3704.
Ridgway, Kulkami, sold eight rams to $10,000, averaging $4562, while Gunallo, Panitya, Vic, parted ways with eight of their rams offered, to $10,000, averaging $5000.
Vic stud Forest Springs, Joel Joel, sold eight rams to $4000, averaging $2250.
NSW stud Mumblebone, Wuuluman, enjoyed strong results on its three rams, which were three of the final four of the sale, topping at $10,000 twice for an average of $8333.
Sale convenor, Classings Limited's Bill Walker, considered the sale result "fair" given farmers had experienced 18 of the toughest months on memory, and said rams were realistically priced.
"A wide range of woolgrowers were in attendance and I would say that most, either stud or commercial enterprises, were after balanced animals for conformation and measurement including the obvious choice, ASBVs," he said.
"Fleece weight, muscle and fat on good structured Poll Merinos was the order of the day of which the line-up was loaded with.
"It was a commercial buyers dream, where many above-average rams for quality hit the $2000-$2500 mark for ease of purchase, while many potential stud sires were still realistically priced between $7000-$10,000."
Mr Walker put the ongoing success of the sale down to only allowing handpicked entries by Classings to ensure quality control.
He dedicated the sale to late woolgrower Sonya Irwin, who perished in a tragic farm accident in April.
"A friend to us and the wool industry and will be missed," Mr Walker said.
The sale reached five figures on eight occasions and another where it didn't meet the reserve, though it was lot 4 that was the high point.
The sole Poll Merino from Wanganella and Poll Boonoke studs, Conargo, NSW, flew to $21,000 - the hefty sum paid for by fellow NSW Riverina breeders, the Huggins family, Woodpark Poll Merinos, Jerilderie and Hay.
The ram's data set didn't light up the page like some of its counterparts, but Wanganella and Poll Boonoke's Tom Lilburne said the ram's dual-purpose nature and long, white wool were appealing.
It had some SA lineage, bred from a Ridgway Advance sire and Ridgway Advance ewe, and a Leachim grand sire.
The May 2024-drop ram weighed 114 kilograms, carrying an 18.4-micron fleece, with 2.7 standard deviation, 14.7 per cent coefficient of variation, while its yearling fibre diameter (-1.7) was in the top 30pc of the breed.
It boasted a fat scan of 7 millimetres, with a 44mm eye muscle depth.
"We rate him pretty highly - he's a good meat sheep with good carcase and good long, white wool," Mr Lilburne said.
"He has a nice, soft muzzle. Everything you'd want in a modern Merino."
The stud has reserved the right to collect 300 doses of semen.
It was the stud's second trip to the Classings Classic and Mr Lilburne said it represented a great way in which to extend the stud's client base into SA.
The stud sells about 1800 rams a year, with a client base stretching from Qld, NSW and Vic, to some stud clients in WA.
Two SA studs - Leahcim, Snowtown, and Mernowie, Marrabel - hit the $13,000 mark in their offerings.
First cab of the rank, Leahcim's April 2024-drop ram had one of the finer wools in the catalogue at 16.6M, while its data included a top 20pc ranking on the Superior Merino index (153), yearling EMD (2.1) and YFD (-2.2).
Also boasting a post-weaning weight and yearling clean fleece weight in the top 30pc, the ram was sold to fellow sale vendor Gunallo.
At lot 14, Mernowie's first ram offered made the $13,000 to long-time commercial client Andriske Farms, Galga, who regularly perform strongly in offshears sales.
The Rowett family sold three rams in total, averaging $7000, prior to their on-property ram sale on September 17.
The top ram ranked in the top 5pc on PWWT (10.9), YWT (14.4), in the top 10pc on the SM index (158) and the top 20pc on YCFW (28).
The 115kg ram carried a 17.4M fleece, with 2.8SD, 16.1CV and 100pc comfort factor.
Commenting post sale, Elders stud stock manager Tony Wetherall said the Classings Classic continued to be a one-of-a-kind sale, offering such a wide spread of modern Poll Merinos from three states to a big field of buyers.
"The line-up was very good and presented well with exceptional data right through the catalogue," he said.
"The clearance was in line with how the season and other sales have been going, but it's a great spectacle here.
"There was a good cross section of cross breeders from all states and a lot of bidding online, with a lot of people chasing genetics from WA and NSW, so it's a sale that attracts a lot of attention and so it should."
Fellow auctioneer Gordon Wood, Nutrien stud stock manager, said the $4572 average was a solid result, with a dip in commercial purchase punch due to SA's reduced ewe flock causing the wane in average.
"There was some really good value buying here for stud and commercial breeders," he said.
Nutrien and Elders conducted the sale, with Mr Wood, Mr Wetherall and Quality Livestock's Cam Petricevich sharing the rostrum.
