COLLINSVILLE had a million-dollar day out on Tuesday last week, after its successful sale of 300 May/June 2021-drop rams and two privately sold ones.
It was not the only milestone achieved by the stud in the Elders-run sale, with its top price Merino in lot 1 attracting an on-property record price of $48,000 - potentially the highest price paid 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 Poll Merino sire Collinsville Emperor 395 for $115,000 during the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Vic, in July.
Kolindale's Luke Ledwith said he also saw the $48,000 top price Merino at the ASWS, and jumped at the chance to buy it when it became a replacement ram in the on-property sale.
The ET-bred CV Duke 174021 son, out of dam Promoter 135105, had its own success at the recent Royal Adelaide Show, named reserve champion March-shorn Merino.
It weighed 124 kilograms, with a 44-millimetre eye muscle and 7mm fat depth, while its 19.4-micron fleece had 2.7 standard deviation, 19.6 per cent coefficient of variation, 99pc comfort factor and a greasy fleece weight of 142pc.
Lot 2 in the sale also had show credits, winning grand champion Poll Merino ram in Adelaide, and received the sale's second-highest Poll Merino price of $32,000, bought by fellow long-time clients, the Eaton family from Collinsville-based Olinda stud, Wyalkatchem, WA.
This ET-bred son of CV Imperial 170521 weighed a whopping 132kg, with a 47EMD and 7mm fat depth.
Its 19.2M fleece had 3.8SD, 14.1CV, 99.8CF and 138GFW.
Brad Eaton said they would use the "good, safe" ram over ewes bred by a Collinsville ram, an Imperial 111 son, the stud bought for $62,000 at Adelaide in 2019.
The sale's top price Poll in lot 10 made $34,000, bought by the Vandeleur family, Rices Creek stud, Saddleworth and Tintinara, who had bought an Imperial son from Collinsville previously.
This ET-bred CV Imperial 180615 son weighed 120kg, with a 45EMD and 10mm fat depth.
James Vandeleur said they liked the sire's "bold, crimping, white" 20.7M fleece, which had 2.6SD, 12.7CV, 99.9CF and 115GFW.
"That Imperial son had bred really well for us and this is from a similar family," he said.
"And its quality wool with good staple length is really important to us, as it is what our clients are chasing at the moment, and the carcase attributes, which we are focusing on as well."
RELATED READING: Records broken at dual sale of Collinsville and East Bungaree studs
RELATED READING: Dual delight at Springvale North ram sale
Collinsville stud principal George Millington was pleased the 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.
However, 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, 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.
They paid $60,000 for an ET-bred, May 2021-drop CV Regal 763 son.
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 CV Emperor 351 genetics in their extensive AI program the past few years.
"We have had such a good result that we wanted to come here and get one of our own," he said.
"We are looking to improve our wools and stretch our sheep out a bit more."
