News
09 Annual On-Property Auction |
BORDERTOWN’S Ridgway Advance stud are again the pacesetters of the 2009 South Australian on-property ram sales posting a $1707 average for their seventh annual sale on Wednesday last week.
Stud principals David and Karen Ridgway were unable to repeat their record-breaking on-property sale of 2008 which averaged $2130, but in another sensational sale they sold 99 of 100 Merino and Poll Merino rams during their main auction.
Buyer registration numbers were back from 80 to 60 but the numberplates in the car park from New South Wales, Victoria and across SA showed the distances buyers were prepared to travel for growthy rams with productive skins and free growing, long stapled wool.
The first half of the sale was particularly buoyant with plenty of frenzied bidding, but with just 12 rams making over $2500 due to less stud inquiry, commercial producers were able to secure more of their pick rams.
The $8000 sale topper went to fellow stud breeders and neighbours Ryan & Sarah, Brendan &Lynette Kluska for their Kiandra stud after being pushed all the way by Bill Walker, Classings Ltd, Murray Bridge.
The upstanding ram had a free growing, bright white fleece measuring 18.1 micron, 2.8 standard deviation, 15.5 percent coefficient of variation and 99.5 percent comfort factor.
The April 2008 drop ram impressed Ryan at the SE Merino field days.
“He has top quality wool and is a really heavy, well made ram displaying good eye muscle.” Ryan said.
Another first time buyer Russell Gordon, outlaid the $5500 second top price buying through Wiss Wool, Melbourne.
The 17.0 micron sire already had a staple length close to 100mm with only five months worth of growth and impressed Russell with his large frame, wool staple length and quality of wool.
Demand was sustained into the mini-auction with the sale’s third top price- $5000 coming from a NSW stud in the opening pen. Ram B130 was just an 2008 spring-drop ram. Mini Auction averaged $763.
Stud principal David Ridgway said it was a “ strong sale and it was pleasing to see a lot of commercial producers were sticking to their Ridgway Advance bloodlines as well as attracting new clients".
“We were nervous about backing up from last year’s extreme sale but it was the best possible result,” he said.
“If we had gone dearer there is always the worry of losing clients and it was good to get back to selling to grass roots commercial clients rather than studs which are in and out.”
David was also pleased with the progress of their breeding program for a modern Merino, and terrific inquiry the stud had received at the field days it has attended.
“The sheep are really coming along with their staple length and wool cut- we believe in getting the skin right first and have then found the other attributes you look at in a dual purpose sheep have come naturally.”
Landmark conducted the sale with Malcolm Scroop and Gordon Wood the auctioneers.
written by Catherine Miller -Stock Journal