Lewisdale's stage one dispersal complete

It was a who's who of WA studbreeders attending Lewisdale's outstanding stage one stud dispersal last week where $51,000 was the top price.

That was paid for Chogm, a ram by Sir Winston, which was bought by Elders Riverina livestock co-ordinator Ron Rutledge on behalf of four eastern states studs - three from Victoria and one from New South Wales, whose names were not for publication.

"There are also two WA semen interests involved," said Ron after the sale, which had a full clearance of all rams and ewes offered.

Also in attendance were Tom and Graham Ashby, of North Ashrose stud, Gulnare, South Australia.

Tom, as president of the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders, opened the milestone sale before Dennis Roberts offered the sheep on behalf of Elders.

In his address to the big crowd, Tom paid tribute to the contribution to the Merino industry made by Lewisdale principal Ray Lewis.

"He is a great marketer of sheep and was one of the first to market the Merino as a dual-purpose sheep," Tom said. "He has been a front-runner in this."

There had been ups and downs with wool, but with the current upturn, the Lewisdale sheep couldn't have been offered at a better time, he added.

About 20 studs - local and interstate - bought sheep offered by Ray and Helen Lewis in their stage one stud dispersal.

The sale started with stud ewes, which were sold in pens of 50 (or thereabouts), with the first pen fetching $620 a head, the day's highest price for ewes.

These 18.3 micron and 99.1 comfort factor Poll Merinos were bought by the Wise family of Wililoo stud, Katanning.

"We started a Poll Merino stud a few years ago," stud principal Clinton Wise said.

To augment this purchase, Wililoo also bought a Poll Merino ram for $3000, as well as 45 poll ewes at $250/head and 49 Merinos at $230/head.

Philip Gooding's East Mundalla stud bought the second pen of 50 Poll Merino ewes at $570/head, followed by the Simkin family's Lyndale stud at Ogilvie, with classer Kevin Broad buying 50 polls at $350/head on the family's behalf.

In the Merino ewes, top price was $400 paid by the Ledwith family's Kolindale stud for 50 ewes.

Luke and Matthew Ledwith were major buyers at the dispersal, taking home a total of 694 ewes, 149 of them being Merinos and the remainder polls.

They also bought two Poll Merino stud rams at $2100 and $1500.

Ron Rutledge bought 143 Merino and Poll Merino ewes to a $250 top on behalf of Athol Park stud, Deniliquin, NSW. He also bought three Poll Merino stud rams at $1000/head and four stud polls at $800 each for Athol Park.

The Richardson family's Mianelup stud bought 100 Poll Merino ewes to a $470 top.

Yangedine Poll Merino stud, of Beverley, bought 50 Poll Merino ewes at $250/head, while the Dempster's Grass Valley stud bought 50 Poll Merino ewes at $400/head.

Elders Jamestown, SA, bought 95 Poll Merino ewes at $230/head and a stud Poll Merino ram at $3000.

Wanjalonar stud, of Narembeen, bought 50 Poll Merino rams at $250/head.

Narrogin stud Seymour Park bought a stud Poll Merino ram at $5600.

Bidding successfully on behalf of Merredin's John Nicoletti was Elders key accounts manager Andrew Farson, who bought six stud Poll Merino rams to an $1800 top price, plus five Poll Merino flock rams to a $600 top (twice).

Corrigin's Gatepines West stud bought two Poll Merino stud rams at $2000 and $1400, while Wagin's Belmont Park stud bought two Poll Merino stud rams at $6400 - the sale's second top-priced ram - and $2900.

Brian and Chris Barnett bought five Poll Merino stud rams to a $2800 top for their Seven Oaks North stud.

In the Poll Merino flock ram offering, the Patterson family's Woolkabin stud bought five rams at $950/head, while Athol Park bought 10 rams at $500/head.

Auctioneer Dennis Roberts said the stage one dispersal had produced an excellent result.

"The quality yarding is a credit to Ray and represents 60 years of breeding. Added to that, it was a complete clearance," Dennis said.