Records tumble at Ridgway Poll Merinos with $12,600 high

Ric, Gail, Matt and Rachel Ridgway and families will long remember the sale on Monday with the average up $374 on last year's seasonally-affected result and a whopping $7800 increase on top price.

In the mini auction, 32 of 42 sold to $1100 five times for a $866 average, bringing the total clearance on the day to 172 rams at a $2153 average.

Despite 14 rams making $4000 or more, there was still plenty of value with 22 per cent of the overall sale selling for $1000 or less.

Repeat buyer Tubbo Station general manager Robert Stein from NSW's Riverina went to $4800 to secure lot 3, R234, but it was his bidding on the next ram, R787, that produced the new record high.

The 20.4 micron son of White River 546, which had impressive tests including a standard deviation of 2.5, coefficient of variation of 12.1 and comfort factor of 99.7 per cent, will go into Tubbo's stud flock.

It also had high ranking MerinoSelect figures, including a yearling clean fleece weight of 20.7 and yearling staple length of 7.4.

"We have purchased here before and these rams have done a good job for us," Mr Stein said.

"This ram has got everything that's required; correctness, it's deep-sided, well-muscled, has a great surface, good skin, plus a silky white, long-stapled, well defined and nourished wool.

The underbidder was Duane Simon, McPiggery, Lameroo, who went home empty handed.

The sale's second highest price of $5200 was paid by Steve Kroehn, GD&JI Kroehn, Nildottie, for R202. He was a strong bidder taking home six rams for a $3283 average.

Tubbo also bought lot 9 for $4800 and also bound for NSW was one of the star lots R94, bought by Bill Ryan, Curragh, Oxley, NSW, for $3800.

For the second year in a row Lynton and Susie Barrett, Lameroo, took the volume buying honours at Ridgway Poll Merino stud's annual sale on Monday.

They paid to $2600 for their 13 rams at a $1792 average, nearly $500 more than last year's buying average, giving a good indication of the lift in the sale.

Mt Boothby, Tintinara, was again very strong, paying to $4600 and averaging $2911 for nine top rams.

Colara Farms, Tintinara, bought eight rams, paying to $3600 and averaging $2800.

Buying through AWN, Graeme Fagg, Mt Mercer, Vic, secured seven rams to $2800, averaging $2129 and Tim Philip, Maroona, Vic, took home five to $2600, averaging $2000.

Ridgway's decision to offer a pen of five at the Hamilton Sheepvention sale for the past few years continues to pay off, helping attract six Vic buyers who collectively bought 30 rams.

This included Peter and Simon Brady, Rhymney, Vic, who averaged $2275 for their eight rams.

Hayden Price, Ben Nevis Farms, Crowlands and buying through Landmark Ararat picked up six rams to $3400 and averaged $2033, while Stephen Allen, Goroke and buying through Rodwells Horsham went top shelf and purchased three to $4000 and averaged $3333

The Ridgway family were delighted with the result, appreciating the strong support from repeat clients and new buyers.

"We appreciate you don't have to go far north of here, or to the east to find the season is still very tough for some, but it has turned around here this year for which we are grateful," Ric said.

"We are in a pretty good spot in the sheep industry right now and if producers have been able to keep a majority of their breeding numbers through the drought, we are in for good times,"

Landmark Lameroo conducted the sale with Gordon Wood and Richard Miller the auctioneers.

"We are indeed in a sweet spot at the moment with the meat and wool markets and it is top genetics like these that will enable producers to take full benefit," Mr Wood said.