Royal Adelaide Show Elite Ram Sale pushes to $27,500 top

The sire, lot 18, topped the sale, where 24 rams sold of 48 offered, averaging $7208. A total of 20 vendors from across SA, NSW, Vic and Tas offered rams.

Top price vendor Will Milroy, Rangeview, Pipers River, Tas - who sold another White Suffolk and two Poll Dorset, all at $5000 - also topped the sale last year, and he said he was "blown away" with the consecutive success.

"When I founded the stud, it was only a dream to sell sheep at these prices, to reputable studs around the country, but it's all starting to come through to fruition now, and a lot of breeders now have confidence in the genetics," Mr Milroy said.

Mr Milroy said the top ram had always been a stand-out, with good length and depth of body, and good muscling.

Sired by Penrise 170207, which also sired a Rangeview ram which made $12,000 in last year's Elite sale, the June 2020-drop sale-topper sported Lambplan figures of 0.64 for bodyweight, 10.72 weaning weight, 16.67 post-weaning weight, -0.32Pfat, and 1.68 post-weaning eye muscle depth, with a Terminal Carcase Production index of 143.76 and a Lamb Eating Quality index of 136.64.

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The sale-topper was jointly bought by Stockdale White Suffolk and Poll Dorset stud, York, WA, and Brett Shepherd, Mullinger Park, Kybybolite, SA, at an 80:20 share. The ram is WA bound, with Mullinger Park to retain semen for stud use.

Mr Shepherd travelled to Tasmania a fortnight ago to tour some of the state's studs, and was particularly impressed by Rangeview. Last week, he secured two Poll Dorset rams from the stud in the Australian Dorset Championships ram sale, at $23,250 and $16,000.

"Rangeview have very similar breeding goals to me," he said.

"(The sale-topper) was an upstanding, big sheep but well-balanced with plenty of flesh. It's pretty unusual to find a big sheep with good flesh and which walks correctly, but this ram certainly does a lot of things right."

White Suffolks made up most of the offering, with 20 of 39 offered finding homes, averaging $7050. Two Poll Dorsets sold of three offered, both at $5000, while two of six Suffolks sold, both by Sayla Park, Kilmore, Vic. Lot 41, Sayla Park 200098, sold at $14,000 knocked down to Erika Grant, Deltora, Darlington, Vic, while lot 42, Sayla Park 200137, made $8000, sold to RS and CL Duff, Cheeryna, Williams, WA.

The top Suffolk had figures including including 0.43BWT, 9.75WWT, 14.77PWT, -0.41Pfat, 1.96PEMD, a TCP Index of 141.99 and an LEQ index of 136.76.

While interstate sires made up a significant portion of the offering, SA stud Ramsay Park, Minlaton, sold an $8000 sire to Anna Villa, Weetulta, SA, as well as two others at $6000 and $2500. Galaxy Park, Monarto South, and Koonawarra, Angaston, SA, each sold one at $2500. A total of 11 sires were sold to SA clients.

The sale was conducted by Nutrien and Elders, with Leo Redden and Laryn Gogel handling the gavel.

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Elders auctioneer Laryn Gogel said holding the Elite Stud Sheep Sale as a standalone event without the Royal Adelaide Show meant an AuctionsPlus presence was vital.

"Previously with the sale, we had a Show, and wildcard entries out of that, and there was always readymade enquiry because everyone was already here, now we really have to rely on AuctionsPlus being solid to get enquiry on those top end stud rams," he said.

Nutrien auctioneer Leo Redden said clients at the sale had varying priorities.

"We've got buyers that are looking to improve their data, then we have those who are very satisfied with the data side of things, but are just trying to fine tune the phenotype," he said.

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