^ Classings Classic sale host Bill Walker with $20,000 top price ram buyers Ray Schroeder and son Brad (kneeling), Gunallo, Pinnaroo, and vendors Ian and David Rowett, Mernowie, Marrabel.
A sole entry from the Mernowie stud at Marrabel topped the 20th annual Classings Classic sale at the new Murray Bridge Racecourse on Monday.
The April 2020-drop ram, weighing 120 kilograms, was among a handful of Mernowie rams Classings Classic sale host Bill Walker saw at the SA Stud Merino Expo in Burra and encouraged the Rowett family to enter into the Classings Classic line-up after a five-year absence.
A SOLE entry from the Mernowie stud at Marrabel topped the 20th annual Classings Classic sale at the new Murray Bridge Racecourse on Monday.
The April 2020-drop ram, weighing 120 kilograms, was among a handful of Mernowie rams Classings Classic sale host Bill Walker saw at the SA Stud Merino Expo in Burra and encouraged the Rowett family to enter into the Classings Classic line-up after a five-year absence.
Gunallo stud principal Brad Schroeder said they had used Mernowie genetics in the past, but it was the first time they had seen this particular ram, which had a “great depth of body, very square, with a lot of potential”.
“It had really good ASBVs and positive fat and eye muscle, double poll – all the things we are looking for – and stood well on the day,” he said.
“It will go into our AI program, as well as naturally mating, and start a line with it.”
Mernowie also retained 50 per cent semen rights for the ram, which was in the top 5pc for yearling weight at 11.3, and was in the top 25pc for yearling eye muscle depth (1.6) and yearling fibre diameter at (-1.5).
It was shorn on February 17 and had an 18.6-micron wool with 2.9 standard deviation, 15.7 coefficient of variation, and 99.6pc comfort factor.
Mernowie stud principal Ian Rowett said the ram was a “fine example of where the industry was heading”.
“That was the motivation to bring it here – a decision that was vindicated by the good money it received,” he said.
“It’s a very well-balanced ram, with beautiful long-stapled, bold crimping, white wool, and its structure was outstanding.”
The Rowetts also had a display at the sale, in preparation for their ram sale on September 17.