'Industry leading' ram tops Rock-Bank Merino stud's wool-focused ram sale

A ram described as an "industry leader" has reached the top price at Rock-Bank Merino and Poll Merino stud's annual ram sale at Victoria Valley.

Rock-Bank sold 46 of 51 rams it offered to a top price of $8200, averaging $3716.

The top ram, Lot 42, Rock-Bank 706265, was purchased by Ararat woolgrower Tim Shea, who breeds his own rams.

Mr Shea also bought Lot 4, Rock-Bank 706252, for $5800, in what was his first time buying from the stud.

He said he would be breeding his own rams from the top-priced sire.

"He is a polled ram and we are looking to change things around a bit," he said.

"I liked his size and wool cut.

"We wanted to increase our wool cut and he's going to be the perfect ram to do that."

Rock-Bank 706265, a June/July 2025-drop ram, was sired by Rock-Bank Langdon and had a 17.9-micron fleece.

He weighed 102 kilograms on September 21, after recording a yearling weight of 6.11kg.

The ram's fleece had a standard deviation (SD) of 2.5, a coefficient of variation (CV) of 14.1 and a comfort factor (CF) of 99.9 per cent.

He had a fat measurement of 7 millimetres and an eye muscle area (EMA) of 37 square centimetres.

The second top-priced ram, Lot 3, sold for $7800 to Glenbrook Merino stud, Tamworth, NSW.

Sired by RB Langdon, Rock-Bank 706248 was a September 2025-drop ram weighing 92kg.

His 17.1-micron fleece measured 2.2 SD, 12.7 CV and 99.9pc CF.

The dual-purpose Merino had a fat measurement of 8.5mm and an EMA of 41sqcm.

Rock-Bank stud co-principal John Crawford said the top-priced ram was in the top 10pc for wool production.

"He is a very big, rich-woolled ram and one of the better stud polls we have sold," Mr Crawford said.

"He is a real stud industry leader."

Nutrien livestock agent Kelvin Donnan, Ararat, said the sale recorded a solid clearance, with buyers chasing the better end of the rams.

"They were chasing the really smart-woolled rams," Mr Donnan said.

He said three rams went to Tasmania, several to south-east South Australia, while others went to NSW and the rest to Victoria.

"There was a good mix of interstate and local buyers," he said.

Volume buyers included Kevin Wilde, Buangor, who purchased six rams, and Casbern Park, Dunkeld, which purchased 11.