Wye passes-on Corriedale baton

It was a sad day for stud principals Jan and Tony Hunt, Mount Gambier, who had been breeding Corriedales for 40 years, but the sale on Thursday last week provided the foundation ewes for several new studs.

The sale's $728 ewe top was for the 2013 Royal Adelaide Show supreme champion long wool, bought by Brenton and Jo Lush, Corriedale Hills, Inman Valley, who selected a foundation ewe to start a stud for their three young children.

Ms Lush said it would give Nathan, 10, Isaac, 9, and Zoe, 8, a great start with their own bloodlines.

"Brenton and his siblings were all helped by their father to get started and we have been helping Brenton's nephews with their Corriedales and Shorthorns, so it was a good opportunity to help our own kids," she said.

"They are all very excited and can't wait for the sheep to come home and have a look. They are really looking forward to showing their own sheep and beating their dad.

"It is really nice to see their enthusiasm for farming and keeping a long family tradition of showing sheep going."

She said the ewe was a real standout at the Royal, carrying "soft, white, beautiful wool" and with a terrific constitution, and when they realised she was for sale decided they had to have her at any cost.

The Lush children also bought four ewes during the sale for $152 each, and hope to register the prefix Y-Not.

Flinders Christian Community College on Vic's Mornington Peninsula made the most of the opportunity, securing the $586 second top-price ewe. The 24.1-micron well-grown ewe -champion and reserve champion long wool at Mount Gambier Show - was one of eight ewes the college bought.

Later in the sale, three of five worker rams sold for a $1483 average.

Two of these, including the $2050 sale topper, went to Darryl McDonald, Fairburn stud, Porcupine Ridge, Vic.

The Hunts will disperse their 2013-drop ewes in spring and stage their final flock ram sale.

* Full report in Stock Journal, March 27, 2014 issue.