Perth Royal Show: The RASWA annual ram and ewe sale reaches a top price of $7400 for a Karinya Suffolk ram

The Royal Agricultural Society of WA’s Annual All Breeds Ram and Ewe Sale sold to a top price of $7400 for a Karinya Suffolk ram offered by Richard Phillips and his partner Sally Larkin, of Boyup Brook. The sale, conducted by Nurtrien Livestock and Elders and interfaced with AuctionsPlus and held at the Perth Royal Show on September 29, offered one South Suffolk ram, 10 Suffolk rams, six Suffolk ewes, 13 White Suffolk rams, 15 Poll Dorset rams, three Ile De France rams, five Ile De France ewes, one Texel ram and two Australian Whites rams. Overall results had a total of 28 rams and 9 ewes sold for an average price of $2570, down $2199/head on last year when 22 rams and one ewe sold to a top of $22,500 and average price of $4769. The sale topper, Karinya 222066, sold to the Duff family’s Cheeryna Suffolk stud at Boddington, through Elders terminal breeds specialist Michael O’Neill. Mr O’Neill said Karinya studmasters Bob and Justin Duff were looking for an exceptional Total Carcase Production index figure in their selection of the Karinya ram plus its outcross genetics from homebred sire Karinya 199028. The Suffolk ram recorded a LambPlan birthweight of 0.76 and a post weaning weight of 19.46kg with an Australian Sheep Breeding Value post weaning eye muscle depth of 1.7, and its indexes measured 157.69 for TCP and 152.58 for LEQ. The $5800 second top-priced ram, Shirlee Downs 220190, sold to repeat buyer Gary Mitchell, of Kojonup, who runs the Glencraobh and Amberley studs and has been a long-time supporter of the sale. Mr Mitchell said the Melton Vale sired ram, had a good eye muscle depth, a long body length, with a moderate birthweight. “The ram showed excellent correctness structurally and had exceptional smooth shoulders,” he said. The Shirlee Downs Poll Dorset ram had a LambPlan breeding value of 0.48 for birthweight and a post weaning weight of 15.45kg with a post weaning eye muscle depth of 2.26 and a PFat of -0.57 and its indexes were 145.51 for TCP and 146.13 for LEQ. The $5600 third top-price ram, Shirlee Downs 220102, sold to the Ditchburn family’s Golden Hill White Suffolk stud at Kukerin through Elders prime lamb specialist Michael O’Neill. Mr O’Neill said the structurally sound ram had growth, muscle and above average LambPlan ASBVs. “It was the first Shirlee Downs ram secured by Golden Hill as the Ditchburns were chasing new genetics from the ram’s sire — Wingamin 674,” he said. Also in the top money was Dongadilling 220015, also offered by the Squires family, that sold for $5200 to repeat buyers since 1974 — Allan and Nathan Lawrence of Canternatting Poll Dorset stud in Southern Brook. Canternatting studmaster Nathan Lawrence said the ram had “plenty of size and meat on the back end”. Other rams that sold well included a Yonga Downs White Suffolk ram, sired by Bundara Downs 289 that sold for $5000 to Merna White Suffolk stud co-principal Kaiden Johnston, of Quairading. The Simpson family, of Barby Downs White Suffok stud secured a Stockdale White Suffolk ram sired by Rangeview 006 for $4000. Barby Downs’ studmaster Shaun Simpson said the Yonga Downs ram had great length, power and depth and a terffiic hind quarter. Two Ile De France rams, with one offered by Alcostro stud and the other by Goldenover stud sold for $2000 each through AuctionsPlus to a new buyer in South Australian.