Top Mulloorie ram stays local, others to traverse through various parts of the country

The top price Mulloorie Poll Merino ram won't be travelling too far from Brinkworth.

Lot 3, auctioned by retired Elders studstock agent Tom Penna, stood boldly, weighing in at 137 kilograms and caught the attention of a number of bidders with the competition hot.

Successful bidder George Coles, Clare, said he and his family have purchased Mulloorie rams for about 35 years. In 1988 they began buying privately.

"We've had a very long association with them and a very successful one," he said.

Mr Coles said the ram, sired by Mianelup 269, stood out for its white wool, which measured 19 micron, with 2.6 standard deviation, 13.7 per cent coefficient of variation, 99.7pc comfort factor.

"He had a tremendous staple length, and is a very well covered sheep as well...a typical Mulloorie sheep with great barrel, a big wool cutter and great bone density," he said.

At one year and 10 months, the ram also had a 46 milimetre eye muscle depth and 7.8mm fat.

Located 11 kilometres north of Clare, Mr Coles said they run about 1500 ewes, mainly to Merinos, with the older sheep mated to a White Suffolk.

He the Mulloorie sheep "do well in that country".

"They hold the dirt out in the summertime and they also seem to weather the tough conditions really well," he said.

"During 2024 and 2025, which were the toughest two years I've had since I've been farming, they really stood up with a supplementary feeding, but they also stood up to the harsh conditions and bounced back well."

Bidding was strong throughout the sale, with rams halfway down the line making well in excess of $2000.

Regular clients the Pluckrose family, Spalding, bought eight rams, averaging $2865.

Jim Pluckrose paid to $4200 for lot 21 - a Mulloorie Lewy-sired ram weighing 109kg, with 20.2M fleece, measuring 3.5SD, 16.5CV, 99.2CF, as well as a 42mm EMD and 6.3mm fat.

Other volume buyers included Pine Creek Partners, Cockburn, with seven rams averaging $1571; and NM&DS May, Elliston, with seven rams averaging $3471.

Purchases also came from Broken Hill and into the Central Highlands of Vic.

In the sale breakdown, 12 Merino rams were offered and sold to a top of $6000, averaging $2016, and 88 Poll Merino rams were offered to $7200, averaging $2496.

Overall 100 rams were offered and sold to a top of $7200, averaging $2438 - up about $350 on last year's sale.

Mulloorie stud principal Paul Meyer felt it was a "good solid sale" throughout.

Having added extra rams to last year's sale, he felt they were in a comfortable position with the number on offer moving forward, at this stage.

"There was good bidding early and there was some good value rams right through the sale," he said.

"It was good to have some local support and the pastoral area also supported us well and those guys are all having good seasons and probably have got plenty of feed going forward, so it's good for them too."

Elders and Nutrien conducted the sale, with auctioneers Tony Wetherall and Richard Miller.

Mr Wetherall said they were "really good sheep" and buyers could purchase with confidence.

"If you want some wool, you want carcase, you want bone, these are the genetics that perform right around the country, from studs to commercial producers," he said.