SOUTH East Merino and Poll Merino stud Southrose is set to be dispersed on December 8 - a golden opportunity for stud and commercial breeders to acquire some top-quality bloodlines.
Between 1500 and 1700 mixed-age ewes will be offered for sale unless the stud is sold beforehand as a whole.
It follows the sale of the 3081-hectare property at Tintinara prior to its scheduled auction today.
Southrose was established in 1988 by Jim and Hilary Ashby after the division of the iconic Ashrose partnership and stud, which was founded in 1910.
Their eldest son Jono and wife Hazel have continued to push the fine-medium wool stud onwards and upwards breeding highly productive sheep with outstanding wool quality.
Throughout its history, the stud has excelled in the show ring, but in recent years it has been a regular fixture in the dual purpose classes and in July this year won the prestigious champion all purpose ram at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo. They also had three of the finalists in the class of 145 entries.
And Southrose was second in the highly contested Merino Pairs at the SA Stud Merino Expo at Burra in March.
One of the stud's real strengths has been its diverse commercial client base stretching from the Flinders Ranges to western NSW, through Vic to Kangaroo Island, highlighting the ability of Southrose's genetics to thrive in pastoral and high-rainfall areas.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 30, 2014 issue.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
