Merino SA has confirmed the 2021 Adelaide Stud Merino and Poll Merino Ram Sale will be held at the Adelaide Showground as planned next month despite last week's cancellation of the Royal Adelaide Show for the second consecutive year.
The decision was made today after discussions between the pastoral committee, Merino SA and the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA.
RELATED: 2021 Royal Adelaide Show cancelled
Merino SA president Joe Dahlitz said it was a "huge relief" for the 23 SA and Vic vendors who have 66 rams entered for the sale on Friday, September 10.
"It may have been possible to have it somewhere else but it would have been a lot of extra work, it is all set up with all the pens and is a great central location," he said.
He said the "premier multi-vendor Merino sale in Australia" would again only be open to vendors and potential buyers.
"It has a hell of a lot of tradition and is always a great sale. Last year we averaged just under $12,000 and topped at $76,000 and I hope it will be just as successful this year, I see no reason why it couldn't be ," he said.
Several other interstate Merino sales have been forced online only this year due to COVID lockdowns but Mr Dahlitz said it was really important that potential buyers had the chance to physically inspect the rams.
"For a ram to make more than $5000 or $10,000 as a buyer you really need to be able to see them or you are putting a lot of faith in your classer or agent or the vendor," he said.
"It is not like buying a British breed ram or a bull where you can just look at pictures and figures.
"With Merinos it is not until you put your hands on the sheep and its wool that you can see the softness, style and brightness of the wool."
The Adelaide sale lots will be available for inspection Thursday afternoon and Friday morning ahead of the sale at 1pm in the stud sheep pavilion.
Record field of Schools Merino Wethers to line up on mat
Schools who have been preparing their Merino wethers since early in the year are also relieved that the competition will go ahead in the sheep shed at the Adelaide Showground on Wednesday, September 8.
This year there are record entries with 74 teams from 40 schools across the state.
Mr Dahlitz said the event would be run under strict COVID restrictions similar to last year when the competition was one of the few held on the grounds.
Schools will only be able to have one student per wether attend and there will be no spectators.
"The competition will be spread out even more in the shed and we might split them up into their zones such as the South East and Mallee, Adelaide Hills and Gawler, the Mid North, Yorke Peninsula and the Eyre Peninsula," he said.
Mr Dahlitz said it was fantastic for the students to be able to line up their wethers after months of hard work preparing and feeding them.
"It is a great learning experience for them from sheep husbandry and handling to sheep selection," he said.
"A lot of kids have participated in the 11 years and quite a few that have come from a non-Merino background have gone onto a career in agriculture or with sheep which is great to see."
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