With more than $100,000 cash splashed with the sale of private rams on display at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, the event is living up to its nickname “Spendigo”.
It was not only the 460 site and stallholders who urged the more than 30,000 attendees at the show to dip into their pockets, with stud displays reaping the benefit of the national industry showcase.
A Collinsville Merino ram travelled 770 kilometres to Bendigo as part of stud principal George Millington’s show team, only to drive back to the property following a $20,000 half purchase by Hallett, SA, neighbours Tony and Mark Brooks, East Bungaree.
He was a son of Collinsville Imperial 141 was regarded as a beautiful, stretchy ram, with dense 20-micron fleece.
The 14 month-old March shorn ram weighed 115 kilograms and wool tests recorded a standard deviation of 2.7, coefficient of variation of 13.5 and comfort factor of 99.8 per cent.
“We sold a sire to East Bungaree two years ago which was a Premier sire and bred on very well so that has probably given them the confidence to come back and buy again,” he said.
“He is a young beautifully proportioned, square ram with exceptional conformation and a thick heavy cutting skin.”
A 114 kilogram horned ram sired by Coronation 57 made the same money selling to repeat buyers Compania de Tierras Tecka from Patagonia in Argentina.
The ram which had been reserved for Collinsville’s on-property sale will be delivered in September. He had wool tests of 20.9M, 3.3SD, 15.8CV and 99.4CF.
“In Argentina it can go from -20 degrees to 35 degrees so it is great to know our rams and genetics can handle the environment well,” he said.
It was one of several rams purchased by the Mortalejo family at Bendigo, including another $25,000 North Ashrose Merino, who won the national March-shorn pair class in earlier judging against a strong showing of 32 pairs.
The 20.3-micron ram was an embryo transfer son of an Olympic family ewe, which was the champion medium wool in Adelaide four years ago and sired by Wanganella 816 – the grand champion ram at the 2014 Royal.
“He has rich, well-nourished wool, but they (the buyers) really loved his purity, with no blemishes and a soft pure muzzle and well structured,” North Ashrose stud principal Tom Ashby, Gulnare, SA, Tom Ashby said.
“He was one of the few rams in the shed that had both purity and structure.”
The 114-kilogram ram, measuring a standard deviation of 3 and 99.8 per cent comfort factor, was earlier judged the reserve champion March-shorn medium wool ram.
“(Argentinian woolgrowers) are looking to improve their genetics all the time and Australia has the world’s best genetics to select from,” Mr Ashby said.
“They come here to see where the future of the industry is going in terms of breeding a dual purpose, meat and wool sheep - they’re looking to Australia for that lead.”
Another ram was purchased by the Mortalejo’s from Wanganella & Poll Boonoke Ram Sale, Boonoke, Conargo , NSW.
City of Greater Bendigo estimates the event injects a conservative $12 million into the regional economy.
The Australian Sheep Breeders Association has injected nearly $1 million into developments at the Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Bendigo, with new exhibition facilities to accommodate growing entries and provide the indoor facilities needed for the winter event.