By Air To Argentina

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 1

By Air To Argentina

This six-tooth stud Romney ram from Southland was photographed at Harewood early yesterday morning just before it and a stud Romney twotooth ewe left on the first stage of their journey to South America. Both are from the Merrydowns stud of Messrs D. H. Robertson and Company at Gore and have been purchased by Dr. Carlos Candia, of Argentina. The ram has been sold for 3000gns, which is believed to be the highest price paid in New Zealand for a Romney ram going to South America. The ewe, which is mated to its travelling partner, has been sold for more than 200gns in Buenos Aires, which is their destination.

Both are expected to appear either in competition or on exhibition at the Palermo centennial show in Argentina at the end of next month.

The two sheep left Christchurch early yesterday by a National Airways Corporation freighter for Auckland. They were due to fly on from Auckland later in the day in specially constructed fibre-glass and hardboard crates for Nandi, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires, where they are due about 36 hours after leaving Auckland. Travelling arrangements for the sheep have been made through Air New Zealand. Mr D. H. Robertson, who is shown with the ram, said that selection of the ram had been aided by photographs sent to South America.

The ram is officially known as Merrydowns 16-63 and is by Leedstown X 49-59. Rams alone sired by the latter have been sold for £30.000, which

Mr Robertson said was a record for New Zealand for one sheep.

The mother of the ram which left yesterday is Merryvale X 5-57, which has won 21 championships including the supreme championship of the breed at the Canterbury centennial show.

Merrydowns weighed in at 3041 b just before it left Harewood. Mr Robertson said that the ewe. Merrydowns 775-64, was one of his show two-tooths at Merrydowns and she was by a sire that was one of the top sires in the stud.

The sheep were sold through The Farmers’ Stud Stock Company and were consigned by the stud stock department of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., one of whose stud stock officers, Mr W. H. Jackman, was at the airport.