Averages surge at Coolawang Border Leicester sale with three-state bidding
The Mundulla West-based Coolawang reaffirmed itself as one of the nation's leading Border Leicester studs with buyers from three states and a big lift in average across both the ram and ewe offerings.
The James family enjoyed a total clearance of all 176 stud and flock rams and stud ewes for an outstanding $2034 average.
The sale high at the stud's 25th annual sale was $10,500.
It came at Lot 5 for a stud ram which was bred from one of Coolawang's most successful lines - the Victory family.
"That is where all of our big, long, structurally correct sheep come from, including our record ram," stud principal Trevor James said.
The sale topper's Lambplan figures included a greasy fleece weight of 13.5 and post-weaning weight of 8.65.
The late July 2025-drop was bought by Jim Mutton, Cloverlea stud, Naracoorte.
Last year's top price buyers Tom and Tanaya Ferry, Carapugna stud, Geelong, Vic, bought Lot 1 - a ram that was many people's pick.
They paid $9000 for the AI-bred son of Glencorrie 2000038. This was a considerable discount on the $17,000 they paid in 2025.
Coolawang's eight stud rams averaged $5125.
One of the sale's big highlights was 18 selected stud ewes.
These sold to three states and averaged $1178 - up considerably on 2025 when only half the ewes found homes.
For the second year in a row Scott Bros, Sale, Vic, bought the highest priced one, paying $2200.
Sixteen-year-old Nate Oster, Marmon Pastoral, Jabuk, who has been a regular at the sale for the past few years, with his grandfather Ian Farley and Elders agent Scott Eichler, bought eight ewes for a $1000 average to start his stud flock.
"I am hoping to get some extra pocket money selling a few rams and build it into a career," he said.
Marmon Pastoral also led the charge in the volume ram buyer list taking home 31 rams for a $1702 average.
Mr Farley said they had been buying rams solely from Coolawang for the past five years.
"We have looked around and think this is the best package that we can buy. They have good structure and good bone and the rams don't tend to die," he said.
"Wool is 30 per cent of your income and it is very hard to find another Border stud with that good wool."
Mr Farley said they were having a "phenomenal season", which was showing in the 300 1.5 year old ewes and 2500 ewe lambs they will be offering at the blue ribbon Naracoorte first cross sales next month.
"We already have lambs at 64kg and we have another five weeks to go," Mr Farley said.
Three other buyers took home 10 flock rams or more each ensured the bids flowed right to the final hammer.
BJ&DJ Francis, Western Flat, won many of the bidding duels to secure 15 rams for a $2553 average, while the England family, The Snuggery, Kingston SE bought 15 rams for a $1333 average.
Another specialist first cross ewe seller CR Pastoral, Woolumbool, took home 12 rams for a $2508 average. This included two of the specially-selected rams at $2800 each.
The 138 Border Leicester flock rams topped at $3600 and averaged $1936, while 12 specially selected rams topped at $4000 and averaged $2383.
In comparison in 2025 , 144 flock rams averaged $1495.
Trevor James was thrilled with the total clearance and grateful to the clients who had "been on the journey with them" over the years.
"The rams were affordable in today's commercial market. Sheep and lambs prices reflect the prices we have got today," he said.
"It worked out nicely that everyone was able to select the rams they wanted, even though there was a full clearance at the end there were rams making $1200."
He said there was growing competition from composites, but believed particularly with their focus on wool quality in their Borders, the Border Leicester-Merino ewe remained an important prime lamb dam.
"We are breeding a first cross ewe that is cutting six or seven kilograms of good quality wool, which is well and truly covering any of the running costs," he said.
"Mature first cross ewes that are well fed can produce an export weight lamb off grass, off mum with no need for a secondary finishing system."
Elders stud stock auctioneer Tony Wetherall praised the evenness of the draft.
He said the stud was synonymous with breeding top quality Border Leicesters and their clients were enjoying premiums with their Coolawang sired genetics.
"You could travel the country and not find sheep any better, I reckon when God made the first Border Leicesters, he made Coolawang's (sheep)," he said.
Mr Wetherall noted that there were not the big highs sometimes seen in the stud rams, but with the depth of quality buyers had multiple rams to select from.
He said the stud's focus on wool quality was paying off with a notable lift in bidding in the catalogue when it came to rams with finer wool type and high greasy fleece weight figures.
Elders Naracoorte conducted the sale.
