Returning to Dubbo after a three-year hiatus, the Rabobank Dubbo Merino National Sale was held on Wednesday with 23 rams offered by studs from NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.
Overall 15 of the 23 rams sold to a top of $20,000 and average of $8067, which was $3517 up on last year.
The 2021 sale was held as an online only event due to COVID-19, with a sale top of $15,000 and $4550 average achieved across the 21 rams sold.
Towonga 1478 was this year's $20,000 sale-topper offered by Garry and Donna Kopp of Towonga Merinos, Peak Hill, and purchased by the Rowlinson family of Concordia Merinos, Mysia, Vic, through sheep classer Chris Bowman.
The 20.7-micron August 2020-drop son of 15-0053 weighed 150 kilograms and measured a standard deviation (SD) of 3.6, coefficient of variation (CV) of 17.4 per cent, spinning fineness (SF) of 19.6 and comfort factor (CF) of 98.8pc.
Mr Bowman said Bob Rowlinson inspected the ram at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, Vic, and liked the ram so he got the order to come to Dubbo to buy him.
"He is a heavy wool cutting sheep," he said. "And Concordia is known for heavy wool cutting sheep, with good constitution and confirmation.
"They always go for the rams which are bale fillers."
The top-priced ram had an illustrious show career, winning the Queensland State Sheep Show in May and reserve grand champion August-shorn ram at the 2022 Dubbo Merino National.
Towonga will retain 200 doses for in-flock use.
Glenlea Park Poll Merino stud at Pinaroo, SA, sold Glenlea Park 21-1087 for the second-top price of $17,000 to Willandra Merinos, Jerilderie.
Caroline Heath of Willandra said he the beautiful wool on a lovely shaped body is what drew them into the ram.
"His free-growing stylish wool will work well over heavy cutting special studs ewes, and he will maintain and improve carcase attributes," Chris Bowman said.
The May 2021-drop ram was by GP150030 and measured an 18.3-micron fleece, 2.7 SD, 14.8pc CV, 17 SF and 99.9pc CF.
Another sale highlight was Langdene 20-0081 offered by Garry and Kel Cox of Langdene Merinos, Dunedoo and purchased by Victoria Downs Merinos, Charleville, Qld, for $16,000.
The champion sale ram, Langdene 20-0904, also offered by Langdene Merinos, was sold for $12,000 to North Run Pastoral Co, Wanganella.
Another highlight was Jolly Jumbuck's September 2020-drop Poll Merino ram which sold for $10,000 to the Evans family of Tambua Poll Merinos, Cobar.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Nutrien with Paul Jameson (Elders) and Rick Power (Nutrien) sharing the auctioneering duties.
MORE TO COME
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