GUNALLO Poll 130055 - known as Lustre for his lustrous wool - shone brightly at the Classings Classic multi-vendor sale at the Murray Bridge Racecourse on Monday last week.
The massive ram from the Pinnaroo stud of Ray, Judy and Brad Schroeder, Pinnaroo, continued the long reign by Mallee breeders over the top price, making $18,000.
The March 2013-drop had attracted plenty of admiration at numerous show and field day outings, and this translated to bids on sale day.
After an opening bid of $10,000, bidding quickly rose with Cousins Merino Services Paul Cousins, Burra, putting in the winning bid.
The successful purchasers he was operating for were WA's Scott Pickering, Pyramid Poll, Esperance, and Fred Leo, Leovale stud, Lake Grace.
Semen shares were also sold to two other WA studs Manunda, Tammin, and Ejanding, Dowerin.
The 115 kilogram Lustre was a son of KP 37 who is breeding so well for the stud and sired many of the high-price rams at Gunallo's recent on-property sale.
He had impressive wool tests of 18.9 microns, 3.3 standard deviation, 18.2 per cent coefficient of variation and 99.7pc comfort factor.
His MerinoSelect ASBVs also reflected his outstanding growth with a yearling body weight of +7.3 - more than double the breed average, and an exceptional clean fleece weight of +18.
It was easily the best price Gunallo had achieved at Classings and second only to the $22,000 stud record it received at the 2013 Adelaide Merino ram sale from the same WA buyers.
Gunallo stud principal Ray Schroeder was thrilled by the sale result.
"Structurally he is so good and he has nourished, gutsy wool which is long-stapled and free-growing," he said.
The progressive breeders have collected 300 doses of semen in Lustre for use in their stud and are the first sheep breeders to have the semen sexed.
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 18, 2014 issue.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
