A Wiltshire Horn reserve champion ram at both the 2023 Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Bendigo, and Melbourne Royal Show was sold for the top price at the annual breed auction.
O'Loghlin Wiltshire Horn Sheep stud, Deniliquin, NSW, principal Jason O'Loghlin offered the July 2022-drop ram for sale at the Australian Wiltshire Horn Sheepbreeders Association show and sale, Bendigo.
He sold for $2700, in an overall sale average for 28 rams and ewes of $931.
"I think he had the balance of everything, he had as good a pedigree of any of my sheep to back him up, structurally he was very correct - he moved well and was very good on his feet," Mr O'Loghlin said.
"He had the raw muscle data to back him up."
The ram was sold to Calico Pastoral, Jones Hill, Queensland.
The ram, O'Loghlin Red 2029, was sired by O'Loghlin Purple 2068 out of O'Loghlin Blue 25.
He was described as "a look-at-me-ram" with sire appeal.
He weighed 95 kilograms, had a muscle depth of 44 millimetres, width of 86mm and a fat depth of 6mm.
His eye muscle area (EMA) was 29.13.
During the online auction, all but five of the eight rams and 20 ewes were sold.
Five rams averaged $1730 and 18 ewes averaged $696.
Calico Pastoral Stud principal Leo Tompkins said he had been looking at O'Loghlin genetics for "quite some time.
"We are well aware of his prestige and genetics he has," Mr Tompkins said.
"We were looking for some new rams, wanting to really implement a science backed, evidence based genetic line - Jason is well know for that," he said.
The ram had the best carcase attributes the stud was looking for.
"We were looking for some really high eye muscle area, so he was a stand-out for us," he said.
Along with his confirmation, we pretty much couldn't go past him."
The stud, in the Mary Valley, west of Gympie, was not renowned for running sheep.
"We wanted a low input, resilient sheep," he said.
"Being a wool shedding sheep, Wiltshires are fit for purpose."
The ram would go into the stud program, being used in breeding in 2024 over O'Loghlin, Kallista, Kallista, and Bara-Simbil, Congupna, ewes.
Mr O'Loghlin said he had used the animal as a six-month old ram lamb.
"I thought it was advantageous for someone else to use him - there are ewe lambs that aren't far off weaning out of him and there will be ram lambs, that are sons of his, as well," he said.
"It's about raising the average and getting some good sheep out there."
It was a "very strong sale.
"We have some new breeders, who are enthusiastic, the sheep overall were a lot better and are improving," he said.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
