* 75 of 88 rams sold to $20,000 (three times), av $5687
IT HAS been a triple treat for Merino breeders at Bendigo's Australian Sheep & Wool Show, with three studs each selling a ram for the $20,000 top price.
Glenpaen Merino stud, Brimpaen, offered the first of the 88 rams auctioned and was also the front-runner among the top sellers.
Glenpaen sold the May 2020-drop ram, which was sired by Yarrawonga 1162 out of Kamora Netley, to Kurrajong Park stud, Delungra, NSW.
The ram had figures of a 20.3-micron fleece, a standard deviation (SD) of 3, co-efficient of variation (CV) of 14.8 and comfort factor (CF) of 99.5 per cent.
Glenpaen principal Rod Miller said he wasn't surprised by the price, which met his reserve.
"I wasn't going to give him away - these rams don't come along all the time and I have retained a bit of semen so I can still use him," Mr Miller said.
He said the ram's underlines were "fantastic".
"The further down you get, the better the wool gets," he said.
"He is a Double P and to get that on a poll ram is pretty special."
The ram won the grand champion ram of the show and would go to Dubbo, NSW, in August to represent Victoria.
George Merriman, Merryville stud, Boorowa, NSW, said there had been a great deal of interest in his ram at the show.
"He won his class in the final six-tooth, and went on to become reserve in the final," Mr Merriman said.
"He has a beautiful sweet wool, but a lot of people commented on his barrel, spring of rib, but he has a very good micron of just over 16."
The ram was bought by Beverley Merino stud, Redesdale, and Mt Challicum Merino stud, Ararat.
The August 2020-drop poll ram was sired by Brilliant Super 18th, out of MSSE.
He had a 17.1-micron fleece, an SD of 2.7, a CV of 15.8 and CF of 99.8pc.
Beverley stud principal John Barty said the stud was venturing into Poll Merinos.
"To start off we want to buy good ones and we like his presence, spring of rib and beautiful soft wool," Mr Barty said.
"We think he will fit very well with what we are trying to do."
Mt Challicum stud co-principal Phil Hartwich said the Merryville ram would bring in another family line to the stud.
Nerstane Merino stud, Woolbrook, NSW, was the third stud to sell a ram for the top price.
Nerstane stud co-principal Hamish McLaren said the ram was third in the fine-wool fourth-tooth poll Merino class.
"He was probably not quite big enough to win the main ribbons this year, but he certainly had the wool," Mr McLaren said.
The 24-month-old ram was sired by Nerstane Seven, out of 161967 WDES.
He had figures of an 18.3-micron fleece, an SD of 2.5, a CV of 13.7 and CF of 99.8pc.
He was bought by TR and GJ Dolbel, Rockley, NSW.
"The buyer was looking for waterproof wools, I think, being from Bathurst, NSW, they have had it terribly wet," Mr McLaren said.
Elders auctioneer Ross Milne said he was very happy with the sale, saying it was probably one of the best averages ever achieved at Bendigo.
"The general comment was the quality of the rams, from all the studs involved, was very, very good," Mr Milne said.
"They have certainly lifted the bar."
Nutrien auctioneer Peter Godbolt said there was good commercial buying.
"This sale is always the first one off the rank, so we are not always 100pc sure what is going to happen," he said.
"Seeing how the sale went we should be in pretty good stead."
Rams went to Victoria, NSW, WA and Tasmania.
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Elders auctioneer Ross Milne said he was very happy with the sale, saying it was probably one of the best averages ever achieved at Bendigo.
"There was a $20,000 top three times, a bit of stud inquiry and very good commercial inquiry, which underpinned most of the sale" Mr Milne said.
"The general comment was the quality of the rams, from all the studs involved, was very, very good - they have certainly lifted the bar, in terms of he quality of rams they put up."
Nutrien auctioneer Peter Godbolt said there was quality, at the top end, and good commercial buying throughout the sale.
"I thought we would sit between $20,000-30,000 [for a top price]," Mr Godbolt said.
"This sale is always the first one off he rank, so we are not always 100pc sure what is going to happen
"But this is where we follow and seeing how the sale went we should be in pretty good stead."
Rams went into Victoria, NSW, Western Australia and Tasmania.
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