Two Eyre Peninsula studs jointly bought the top-priced ram at the annual Adelaide Show merino and poll merino sale at this year’s Royal Adelaide Show.
Minta Poll Merino Stud of Port Kenny and Brimanna Poll Merino Stud of Yeelanna jointly paid $23,000 for lot 49 at the sale, with Jaburee Merino and Poll Stud of Wilmington buying a semen share as part of the winning bid.
He was sold by the Saegenschnitter’s Sharlu Park of Truro.
Brimanna principal Jayden Haris said of the 47 rams offered at the sale, lot 49 was the standout.
“I think of all the rams that were offered he was just a standout on the day,” Jayden said.
“He was structurally very correct and has exceptional wool that was the perfect amount of thickness.”
The ram will spend four to five weeks running with the Brimanna ewes at Yeelanna and then go to Minta.
Jayden said he would also use some semen for artificial insemination to build up the number of offspring from the new buy.
“Probably the main reason that Minta and I bought him together was I thought he would go for lots of money,” he said.
“With everything happening in the sheep market, things were a bit more subdued [at the auction].”
Brimanna also sold a ram at the Adelaide sale, with lot 34 going for $10,000 to a neighbouring farm, with Nick Maddern buying him.
The sale average by the sale was $7364 with five merinos selling for an average of $7100 and 32 poll merinos selling for an average of $7406.
A total of 47 rams were offered with 37 selling.
