500 rams sold in a day - all the action from Collinsville Stud Merinos

Collinsville proved again why it is the powerhouse of the Merino industry yesterday (Tuesday), with a total clearance of 500 rams to nearly every state in Australia and a nearly $150 lift in average on 2024.

This year's offering averaged $1852, while last year George and Sophie Millington sold 561 Merinos and Poll Merinos for a $1708 average.

Bids flew from the start in the specially selected stud rams including lot 2, CV 240422, which was the sale topper at $44,000.

The 19.7 micron wool Lustre 80 son, which had attracted plenty of pre-sale attention, was out of an Emperor ewe.

The ram was described by Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall as a "showy, classy ram wrapped in a terrific wool" and after an initial bid of $20,000, quickly rocketed to the knock down price.

The successful buyers were Chris and Rosemary Lawrie, Collandra stud, Tumby Bay.

The Lawries will use the ram, which had a 47 millimetre eye muscle depth, as a foundation sire for their Poll Merino stud after decades of breeding horned rams using Collinsville genetics.

Mr Lawrie said his son Steve and granddaughter Emily had been impressed with the 130 kilogram ram when they saw it a fortnight ago.

"He has got size, which is never a bad thing, and he has the sort of wool we want, so we thought we would have a crack," he said.

"You never know how much you are going to have to pay, but I can remember my grandfather telling me years ago that the ram you want is cheap at any price and the ram you don't want is dear at any price."

The highest-priced horned ram came a few lots later at lot 13, which made $21,000.

The 21.6M ram was bought by repeat clients AJ&AM Carmody, Mittakeri stud, Kulin, WA, who also outlaid $25,000 for another Collinsville ram at the Elders SA Stud Merino Expo in March.

"They have always been big supporters of Collinsville and like the grow and the wool cut, pure white wool. They are chasing rams that are very pure in the head and big and square behind," Elders stud stock's Alistair Keller said.

Two other polled rams also equalled the $21,000 second-highest price of the sale.

Lot 4, a Imperial 328 son sold to Abbotsford Pastoral Company, Ivanhoe, NSW, while Cousins Merino Services' Josh Cousins, Burra, secured lot 7, an Emperor 44 son for WA stud Mianelup, Gnowangerup.

"He is a very correct ram with very lustrous, sirey wool and plenty of nourishment," Mr Cousins said.

The 30 specially selected rams at the front of the catalogue averaged $8250.

Collinsville owner George Millington said the sale result was great given the rams had been prepared in one of the lowest rainfall years on record at their three properties, while many of their clients in south eastern Australia were also enduring a challenging season.

"It is a testament to the whole team that we have been able to achieve this, and also a testament to the doing ability of the sheep," he said.

"We are not a small stud, we have a large amount of ewes that we must run on a commercial basis, They don't get to sit on feeders in small paddocks.

"They are bred in a commercial environment, in a pastoral environment, and in the hills of Hallett, where it can be 44 degrees in summer and snow in winter so if they are not tough, they won't survive."

It was a huge day for the Elders auctioneers with Mr Wetherall - along with Tom Penna and Conor Lamond - sharing the duties and completing the sale in just over three hours.

Speeding up the process, the final 200 rams were offered in pens of seven and many buyers took nearly the whole pen with one bid.

Mr Wetherall said it was a fantastic result to have a total clearance in one of Australia's largest on-property ram sales.

"Collinsville has a reputation for breeding great genetics that perform and have for a long time and that is why there were so many stud and commercial breeders here from all over Australia," he said.

"There was a price point for everyone and rams for everyone, with plenty of rams sold from $1000 to $2000."

Station orders dominated the volume buyers with Dalwoodman Pastoral, via Wentworth, NSW, securing 50 rams from the East Bungaree offering for a $1572 average, while Paroo Pastoral Company, via Broken Hill, NSW, also secured 50 rams for a $1100 average.

Moonaree Station from the north west pastoral area put together 38 rams.