A HIGHLIGHT of the southern selling season was achieved at the James family's Coolawang Border Leicester ram sale at Mundulla West the week before last where an Australian record price of $18,200 was paid for a Border Leicester ram.
The ram, Coolawang 120088, was the reserve junior and reserve grand champion ram at the recent Adelaide Royal Show, also winning the Lambplan objective measurement class. It was a late addition to the sale catalogue after strong pre-sale enquiry.
Sired by Coolawang Victory 1, a son of The Oaks Victory 30, the mid-August-drop sire weighed 126 kilograms. It had a weaning weight rating of 5.8 and post-eye muscle depth EBV of +0.7. Its eye muscle depth reading at Adelaide was 44 millimetres.
The ram displayed outstanding structure, wool and breed type, including an excellent head with power and style, an attribute for which the Coolawang sheep are renowned.
Craig and Josh Graham, Glencorrie Border Leicester stud, Maitland, were the successful buyers after seeing-off three other bidders who were still in the auction over the $10,000 mark.
Later in the stud ram offering, the Grahams outlaid $8000 for another son of Victory 1.
Local area breeder Martin Harvey, Paxton Border Leicester stud, Western Flat, purchased Lot 1, a ram with excellent wool and well-balanced figures, including an impressive Border $index of 127.4, plus 41mm EMD in Adelaide, for $10,400.
When exhibited in Adelaide, this ram was first in the breeders group and second in the woolly ram under 1.5 years.
The James family was again the most successful exhibitor in the Border Leicester section in Adelaide, taking out six of the eight broad ribbons.
For the first time this year, all rams were offered at the stud's on-property sale, which drew bidders from three states, and the strong competition led to an average stud ram price of $6250 for the 15 selected rams offered.
The Starling family, Telang Past Co, Naracoorte, purchased Lot 4 at $6200, a ram shown with success in the shorn and objective measurement classes in Adelaide.
The Munro family, Taronga stud, Naracoorte, secured Lot 4 at $6000.
The Grossman family, Koonawarra Border Leicester stud, Angaston, also paid $6000 for Lot 7, a son of Coolawang 070018, whose four progeny in the section of the sale averaged $4900.
Lot 2, a ram with outstanding show results was purchased by Wattle Farm Border Leicester stud, Temora, NSW, at $5500. When shown in Adelaide the ram was junior and grand champion Border Leicester ram, plus the best-headed Border Leicester award and reserve champion long wool ram in the interbreed judging.
Marjong Park, Millicent, saw value in the selected section and snapped-up five for an average of $4,460, adding three more flock rams at $1900, the second-top-price in that section.
Tallageira Past Co, Frances, secured a ram that was in the winning woolly pair of rams in Adelaide, for $5200.
Belmont Props at Mount Pleasant, purchased Lot 12, and AJ&SK Geue, Kingston, Lot 13, both at $3000.
In the flock ram section 106 were offered and all sold to $2000 averaging $961, just $9 less than last year.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 17 issue, 2013.
