Jeremy and Melinda King of Rangeview Merino stud, Darkan, in the south west of Western Australia, said the Australian Sheep and Wool Show (ASWS) provides an excellent opportunity to amplify the area they sell into.
“We believe there is a demand for the 18.5-micron sheep we breed and the ASWS allows us to increase our selling opportunities,” Mr King said.
“We breed heavy cutting fine wool sheep with a good constitution. The sheep are particularly well suited to high rainfall climates.”
He said the area’s 600 millimetres average rainfall is predominantly winter rain.
“The density of fibres enables the sheep to be quite plain, however maintain good wool cuts with an average micron of 18.5,” he said.
Bloodlines have been sourced from equivalent or higher rainfall areas of Australia. Genetics from studs such as Merryville, Thalabah (Koonwarra) which produce higher yielding fine wool.
Mr King said this has eliminated the need to jet for body strike as dermatitis, fleece rot and water stain are not an issue.
He sees the future for Rangeview transitioning towards an all poll flock.
They run 6000 breeding ewes including commercial breeders. This year they mated 500 stud ewes in the horn flock and 2000 stud ewes in the poll flock.
His grandfather Jack King established the horn stud in 1952 and father John registered the poll stud in 1972.
“We have attended Bendigo since 2004 and we have been lucky to have people like Rob Mullan and Ashley Lock who organise a truck to enable WA studs to exhibit,” Mr King said.
In recent years Rangeview have won the grand champion fine wool ram, reserve champion poll ram and last year they took home the pair of August shorn sale rams.
Offering rams at Bendigo on two previous occasions, Mr King said the ASWS not only provides them with an opportunity to sell their genetics, but it allows a comparison to all of the top studs in Australia.
This year they are taking a team of five rams – four August shorn polls and one March shorn horn ram.
Three of the poll rams to be in the sale won the Murdoch Cup (best group of three poll rams) at Wagin Woolorama in March.
The lead ram to be offered won reserve champion poll ram at Wagin and the third ram won champion fine wool poll ram at Williams gateway expo in April.