WHILE the feat of selling 600 rams in the one day was impressive enough, a number of on-property and potential season records were also set at the Collinsville sale complex on Tuesday.
Hallett-based Merino and Poll Merino studs, Collinsville and East Bungaree, offered and sold 300 rams each in what was considered a very rare sale of its size in our nation's history.
East Bungaree kicked off the day, posting their best-ever overall average of $2277 - surpassing their record 2020 sale by $123 a head and a $293 increase on a strong 2021 sale.
Their top price ram - a Merino - sold for $13,000 to return client Stephen Lawrie, Collandra stud, Tumby Bay.
The Collinsville offering also sold to a Merino on-property record price of $48,000 - and potentially the highest price for a horned ram this selling season.
The ram sold on the phone through Tony Brooks, Brooks Merino Services, acting on behalf of repeat buyers, the Ledwith family from the Kolindale stud, Dudinin, WA, who only recently privately bought a Collinsville Poll Merino sire Collinsville Emperor 395 for $115,000 during the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Vic, in July - a price tag believed to be the highest price paid for a Merino or Poll Merino ram in the past 30 years in Australia.
The successful result caps off a fantastic year for the Collinsville stud, which also exhibited at the recent Royal Adelaide Show for the first time in decades, taking home a swag of ribbons including the reserve champion March-shorn Merino (which attracted the $48,000 top price) and grand champion Poll Merino ram, which were offered as lot 1 and 2 respectively in the on-property sale.
The grand champion made the sale's second-highest Poll Merino price of $32,000, sold to the Olinda stud, Wyalkatchem, WA, while Rices Creek stud, Saddleworth and Tintinara, bought the sale's top price Poll at $34,000.
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But it was outside the selling sheds that even bigger money was made, in the private sale of two Collinsville Poll Merino stud sire reserves.
The Button family from the Manunda stud, Tammin, WA, paid $60,000 for an ET-bred, May 2021-drop Collinsville Regal 763 son.
Wayne Button said they were looking to buy a different bloodline after previously using a semen share from the $58,000 ram the Greenfields stud bought at the 2021 sale, and another bought privately the year before.
"This ram had good consitution and is good on its feet," he said. "It also has rich, bold, crimpy, well nourished wool - well suited to our area and our clients."
While the Kerse family, Cramphorne, Muntadgin, WA, paid $50,000 for an ET-bred September 2021-drop Poll Merino by Collinsville Emperor 351.
Graham Kerse said they had used Emperor 351 genetics before in their extensive AI program.
Collinsville and East Bungaree stud principal George Millington was pleased the Elders-run sale drew such a large crowd from across Australia, with stud interest particularly strong.
Overall, Collinsville sold 44 specially-selected rams for a $9911 average, while 256 flock rams averaged $1934.
- More to come
Alisha Fogden
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
