A SOUTH-EAST South Australian stud has paid one of the top prices of the Victorian ram selling season so far at the Charinga/Banavie Merino stud sale at Berrimal on Monday.
The Wallis family, Glenlea Park Merino and Poll Merino stud, Pinnaroo, SA, bought Lot 2, Banavie 220233, for $30,000, the top price across the offering of 200 rams from both studs.
Glenlea Park wool classer Andrew Calvert, Wool Solutions, who bid on behalf of the buyers, said he was looking for good structure and shape.
"We were also looking for width in the body, along with good bone and the Merino being correct," Mr Calvert said.
The 20.6-micron, June 2022-drop ram weighed 120.5 kilograms and had wool measurements of 3.6 standard deviation (SD), a coefficient of variation (CV) of 15.5, a comfort factor (CF) of 100 per cent and a staple length of 110 millimetres.
Its eye muscle depth was 31mm and fat depth 6mm.
Plenty of other Banavie rams passed $10,000, including Lot 5, Banavie 220009, which sold for $26,000 to an undisclosed buyer, Lot 13, Banavie 220229, which sold for $12,000 to the Maher family, Narromine, NSW, and Lot 3, Banavie 220135, which sold for $10,500 to the Guthrie family, Donald.
Banavie stud principal Tim Polkinghorne said while averages were down, the sale was a "huge result".
"Interest was very solid in the current environment and commercial clients served us extremely well," he said.
"There were a couple of new clients buying, and our numbers are good, based on the strong support."
The Charinga portion of the sale had one lot pass $10,000, that being the top-priced Lot 57, Charinga 220657, which sold for $17,000 to Capree Poll Merino stud, Newbridge, NSW.
The June 2022-drop ram measured 18.6 micron, weighed 109kg and had an SD of 2.8, a CV of 15.8 and a CF of 99.8pc.
"For the type that he is, he's got a big barrel, and he's got a lively, bright, super-soft wool," Charinga stud principal Roger Polkiinghorne said.
"Strong stud inquiry got him over $17,000, and he's gone to a good client of ours, up in high rainfall."
He said it was a ram that he considered keeping but believed the dual-purpose Merino would breed well.
He said it was also the first time the Charinga stud put forward a non-mulesed offering.
