AFTER coming a close second last year, Dubbo stud Roseville Park topped the National Merino Ram sale on Thursday at $26,000.
That was $1000 more than Orrie Cowie’s sale topper from 2014, and $2000 more than Roseville Park’s highest price that same year.
Achieving the sale high at just lot 2 put the remainder of the sale in good stead, with 60 of 66 rams selling and the average also up at $5998 – an increase of about $1300.
The Coddington family sold the $26,000 Roseville Park 13-2933, a Roseville Park 09-14 son, to a syndicate of stud and commercial buyers.
Peter Moore, Blink Bonnie stud, Tarana, Neil Doherty, Ronjabar stud, Toongi, and Dennis Cox, along with sons Brad and Tim, Rosewood Family Trust, Dubbo, were the winning bidders.
Both the Blink Bonnie and Ronjabar studs will use semen from the ram, while the Cox family will be using him naturally in their commercial flock.
The ram had fleece measurements of a 19.8 micron fibre diameter, 2.9-micron standard deviation (SD), 14.6 per cent coefficient variation (CV) and 99.5pc comfort factor (CF).
The Maclaren family of Nerstane stud, Woolbrook, sold the second highest priced lot at $24,000 to another syndicate, this time from Victoria and Tasmania.
The Barty family, Beverley Merino No. 2 stud, Redesdale, Victoria, will have possession of the ram, while the Wallace family, Trefusis Merinos stud, Ross, Tasmania, also purchased a share in the ram as did Jock MacRae, Eilan Donan Merino stud, Elphinstone, Victoria.
The ram had a fibre diameter of 18.9 micron, 2.4-micron SD, 12.7pc CV and 99.8 CF.
Nerstane averaged $11,500 for their three lots offered and sold.
NSW Ram of the Year, exhibited and sold by Hinesville Merinos, Delegate, was sold at $14,000 to Finley breeder John Jamieson. Hinesville also sold a second ram at $5000.
Langdene Merinos, Dunedoo, also had a solid result, selling all six lots offered to a top of $14,000, sold to A. Day and Son, Goulburn, and averaging $9000.