PEMBROKE
*Total clearance of 50 Border Leicester rams to a top of $1600 (twice), av $1110
*Total clearance of 50 Poll Dorset rams to a top of $2200 (twice), av $1332
*Total clearance of 40 White Suffolk rams to a top of $2000, av $1080
PEMBROKE sheep stud recorded its best ever ram sale last week, according to stud co-principal Kathy Simons.
The Telangatuk East stud offered 140 Border Leicester, Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams, and sold every ram, increasing each average price and top price from last year.
The 50 Border Leicester rams sold to a top price of $1600 (twice), which is up $200 on last year, and an average price of $1110, up $100.
Lot 1 reached one of these top prices, selling to S. Abbey, Glenroy, South Australia.
The ram was sired by Rettallack 461-13, weighed 102.5 kilograms, and recorded Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 7.8kg post-weaning weight (pwwt), 1.4mm post-weaning fat (pfat), and -1.0mm post-weaning eye muscle depth (pemd).
The other top-priced ram was Lot 16, who was bought by Andrew Saunders, Telangatuk East.
The proceeds of Lot 16’s sale were donated to beyondblue, in memory of Brent ‘Bluey’ Forsyth, a former senior coach of the Harrow Balmoral Football Club, who wore the number 16 jumper.
The ram was sired by Coolawang 252-10, weighed 89kg, and recorded ASBVs of 6.7kg pwwt, 1.0mm pfat, and -0.2mm pemd.
In the Poll Dorset section of the sale, there was a total clearance of 50 16 to 17 month-old rams, which sold to a top of $2200 (twice), up $700 on last year’s top price, and an average of $1332, up $265.
The two top-priced rams were purchased by Richard Hobbs, Clear Lake.
Lot 51 was sired by Koonongwootong 072-11, and recorded ASBVs of 14.7kg pwwt, -0.7mm pfat, 0.8mm pemd, and a Carcase Plus index of +186.
Lot 52 was sired by Ivadene 084-14, and recorded ASBVs of 15.4kg pwwt, -1.2mm pfat, 1.6mm pemd, and a Carcase Plus index of +201.
There were also 40 White Suffolk rams offered, all of which sold, to a top price of $2000, up $400 on last year, and an average price of $1080, up $152.
The top-priced ram, Lot 102, was sold to Malcolm Todd, Poolaijelo.
It was sired by Gemini 059-13, weighed 124kg, and recorded ASBVs of 15.7kg pwwt, -0.1mm pfat, and 1.2mm pemd, and a Carcase Plus index of +193.
Ms Simons, who is principal of the Poll Dorset stud, and son Ashley Simons principal of the Border Leicesters and White Suffolks, said it was the best lineup of rams they had ever offered.
“We’ve had an incredible season, and that’s definitely contributed to how the rams have turned out,” Ms Simons said.
“Ashley has also done a lot of hard work with our genetics, working to improve our figures and increase the number of multiple births.
“Our maternal line is also very strong, and that has helped us to continue to improve year on year.”
She said there was a very strong buying gallery.
“There were several repeat buyers who also ended up being big volume buyers,” she said.
“There were quite a few new faces too.”
Some of those volume buyers included ‘Glenroy Plains’, Penola, SA, who bought 10 Border Leicester rams, and Tim Brown, Nurrabiel, a return client, who bought nine Poll Dorsets.
The sale was conducted by Rodwells Horsham and PPHS Penola.