*90 rams of 96 offered sold to $7500, ave. $2261
- Valleyella: 10 of 10 to $3750, av $2250
- Wurrook: 3 of 3 to $5750, av $3750
- Glendonald: 19 of 19 to $7500, av $2300
- Melrose: 4 of 5 to $4400, av $2766
- Elmbank: 8 of 10 to $3000 (twice), av $1625
- Kevlyn: 4 of 4 to $2100, av $1725
- Gleneden: 19 of 20 to $3700, av $2342
- Mount Yulong: 9 of 10 to $3100 (three times), av $2588
- Thornlea: 13 of 16 to $3200, av $2273
A strong sale of 90 rams at the annual Glenelg Regional Merino Field day and ram sale saw prices top at $7500.
The multi vendor sale at Balmoral Showgrounds featured rams from nine studs.
In total 96 were offered with 90 sold averaging $2261.
This year’s result improved on the 2017 numbers when 73 of the 78 rams on offer sold to $7000 and averaged $2082.
The majority of buyers came from the western district, Wimmera and central Victoria and one from South Australia.
Top priced ram at $7500 was offered by Robert Harding, Glendonald Merino stud, Nhill, and was bought by John Staude and son Will, Pigeon Ponds.
The top priced ram, with figures of 19.1 micron, 3.8 standard deviation (SD) and 90 percent comfort factor (CF), will be joined to the best of the Staude’s 4000-strong Merino ewe flock to breed rams for their own use.
Lot 12 of the sale, a ram from Paul Walton’s Wurrook Merino stud, Rokewood, sold for second top price of $5250. The Poll ram was 23 months old, 18.3 micron and 99.5 percent CF.
Buyer was Andrew and father Neil Rizzoli, Cape Clear.
Wurrook also sold a ram for $4000 to RM & T Burger, Glenthompson. The ram measured at 17.1 micron, 3.8 SD and 99.4 CF.
The Russell family’s Melrose Merino stud sold second top price for the sale at $4400 for a 15.3 micron ram with 2.6 SD and 99.8 CF.
Landmark wool account manager, John McGrath, Ararat, bid on the ram on behalf of SA based GM & MJ Glynn, Kingscote. The Glynn’s took a liking to the ram at last week’s Sheepvention.
Peter Fitzgerald’s Valleyvella Merino stud, Harrow, had the next best priced ram at $3750. The 27 month old 19 micron ram was bought by Wan Wan Properties, Horsham.
Selling agents: Landmark and Elders.