ONE of the states most well-known bloodlines has taken out the 2022 Elders SA Stud Merino Expo Ram of the Year, after its big-barrelled sire impressed the judges on Wednesday last week.
The sheep and wool sector's buoyancy certainly gave Collinsville stud an extra spring in its step when taking out the top gong at Burra, with general manager Tim Dalla saying it was a "brilliant" outcome for the stud.
With Collinsville also taking out the champion pair, Mr Dalla was confident in the stud's path going forward.
"They are all heavy-cutting sheep and the champions were all from the first drop of Emperor 351," he said.
Roemahkita stud, Cummins, won the champion pair of lambs, as picked by judges Cam Munroe, Warren, NSW and Lachlan Hart, Two Wells.
Elders SA Stud Merino Expo committee's Peter Meyer was pleased with the event's success.
"There was a great crowd and a lot of top quality sheep on display," he said. "The exhibitors put on an incredible display. It was a great representation of what the SA sheep industry looks like and gave visitors an opportunity to see sheep genetics from a plethora of studs, firsthand."
The Elders helmsman ram sale offered 13 rams, with six sold to a top of $5250, averaging $3666, with rams offered by Greenfields, Mulloorie and Orrie Cowie.
The top price lot was from Mulloorie, Brinkworth, and sold to Tom and Jim Puckrose, Spalding.
The September/October 2020-drop ram was sired by Mulloorie 2.0, a son of E430, and weighed 125 kilograms. Its fleece measured 21.5 micron, with a 3.2 standard deviation, 15 per cent coefficient of variation and a 99pc comfort factor.
Incoming Merino SA executive officer Rachel Titley was thrilled about her appointment, saying it felt "incredible" to be back in the sheep industry.
Fresh out of a decade of working in government, she will bring quite the toolbox into the new role.
After growing up on a family sheep farm at Sherlock, it took Ms Titley a pretty long time to function "well" off the farm.
"It was not an easy transition - I am fourth generation and when this job opportunity came up, I thought I would throw my hat in the ring," she said.
Most recently, Ms Titley served the state Department of Treasury and Finance and after just a couple of weeks into the new role, is ready to bring her lived experience and progress the sheep and wool narrative across SA.
"I want us to sit at the top of this positive wave the industry is about to enter," she said.
"We have very conscious consumers - they want traceability and sustainability."
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Vanessa Binks
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
