SALE SUMMARY
2022 2021
Offered 160 174
Sold 160 174
Top $24,000 $23,000
Av $3270 $3166
A $24,000 on-property stud record was achieved at White River Merino and Poll Merino stud's annual ram sale on Thursday last week at Poochera, along with an outstanding $3270 average.
The magnificent record breaker attracted plenty of interest at the Hay Sheep Show in June, the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, Vic, and the EP Merino Breeders Expo at Wudinna where the ram stood second to another of the Daniell family's rams being retained by the stud.
Six rams sold to studs across Australia including this lot 2 sale topper.
Buyers Oakfarms stud, Buckelboo, paid $1000 more than the previous record set in 2021.
The Lienerts have been buying White River rams for nearly 20 years.
Nick Lienert said they were very pleased with their purchase of the 21.9 micron ram with wool tests including a standard deviation of 3.3, coefficient of variation of 15 per cent and 99.5pc comfort factor.
It also had a 41.5mm eye muscle depth.
"As a stud we have grown to the point where we are able to use our own bred sires in our stud breeding program. We make elite level purchases from other studs annually to help us take our own stud sire genetics to the next level," Mr Lienert said.
"White River's Lot 2 had a bit of a following this year across local and interstate events with his big square structure and impressive wool. He's very good on his feet and has a lovely bold, crimpy wool with good sirey type traits."
Oakfarm's classer Paul Cousins had been following the ram's sire Wallaloo Park 226 - a ram which topped the 2020 Adelaide Merino ram sale at $76,000- closely and had been keen for the stud to use the genetics.
White River stud principal Wes Daniell said the 122kg sale topper which was out of a top Premier 733 ewe was a "genuine, modern day dual-purpose Merino with outstanding carcase and confirmation, and structural correctness - carrying a long stapled crimpy sire's wool".
Lot 5 described by Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall as "another star" in the line-up sold for $17,500 to Roger and Luke Matthews, Borambil, Corowa, NSW, who had seen the ram at Bendigo last month.
"He [lot 5] is a good-sized ram. A very smart sheep with a very good testing micron wool on him with lots of sparkle in his wool," Roger said.
"We're in a higher rainfall area than White River and feel that generally SA sheep are broader in micron, however, this ram's wool tests really ticked boxes for us and what we aim to breed.
"We think he's a very special ram and look forward to seeing how he performs in our stud alongside our Moorundie bloodlines."
Mr Daniell said the 17.6M ram was from their hugely successful WR881 family.
"This ram oozes wool quality and wool growing skin, suitable for higher rainfall areas. He is a very safe ram that stands well and has a beautiful pure soft muzzle and carries the PP gene," he said.
Another stand out was lot 28, a 20.4M paddock run ram which sold for $19,000 to Rob Macartney, Coreen, NSW.
He described the ram as a "big sound ram that stood well" and was impressed how the ram "filled the pen right up on sale day with his long body".
The horned rams in White River's offering sold to a $8500 high twice. Both were sons of Promotor 212-14.
PW &SJ Gutsche, Yorke Peninsula, took home an 18.7M ram in lot 21 while Wayne Jacobs, Minnipa, outlaid the same money for lot 25.
Wonga Pastoral Company, Morgan, snapped up two quality Merino rams both at $6000.
White River's 22 Merino rams averaged $3377 while 138 Poll Merinos averaged $3253.
West Wimmera Beef, Nhill, Vic, led the volume buying with 34 rams to a $5600 high and $3632 average while Lairg Station, Sheringa, took home 30 rams to $1200, averaging $1046.
Mark, Nigel and John Turnbull, Cleve, bought 14 rams to $3000 averaging $1971 and WG Fuss & Sons, Cummins, secured 10 rams to $6500, averaging $4165.
JW Michael, Wudinna, purchased seven rams to $5000 averaging $3485.
Further notable support of the sale included Jindalee P/L & Kappacoola Park, Wudinna, who purchased four rams to a top of $6000 and Kaira Pty Ltd, Wirrulla, securing four rams to a top of $7000 including Lot 1.
Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood - who shared the auctioneering duties with Mr Wetherall - said a large offering of even rams with volume and capacity met with strong bidding from repeat commercial producers with existing and new stud buyers.
"White River's 2022 sale rams can only be described as being impressive in size, shape and wool cutting ability," he said.
Mr Wetherall described the offering as the "full genetic package."
Wes was pleased with the 2022 sale line-up.
"I'm really proud of what we've got here today...it's been a really good season so far and is looking better than previous years," he said.
