Top-price ram for Canterbury

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32819, 20 January 1972, Page 10

Top-price ram for Canterbury

“The Press" Special Service

OAMARU, January 19

The North Canterbury Southdown breeders, A. D. Wyllie and Sons (Omihi), paid the top price of $3lOO for a shearling Southdown ram at the ninth annual sale of the Punchbowl stud of Mr H. J. Andrew (Maheno) at Oamaru today.

Six rams of the 56 on offer topped the $lOOO mark, the major buying interest coming this year from Southland breeders.

mercantile firms handling this year’s sale. This year’s sale was however, more buoyant, indicating that the Southdown breed is holding its own as far as prime-lamb production is concerned.

Second-top price of $2400 was paid by F. E. Holroyd (Invercargill), with four other breeders from Southland bidding over the $lOOO mark. Rams ranged from $125 to the top price, with 100 shearling ewes selling from $22.50 to the top price of $55. L. A. Christie (Southbridge) paid $6OO for a ram, with other Canterbury sales going to W. E. Moorehead. Canterbury buyers were not so prominent as in previous years, according to a representative of one of the four

Last year, the two top rams realised $l6OO, the top ewe going for $7O.

Buyers from as far as Auckland, Gisborne and Taranaki were present, with the usual large contingent from throughout the South Island. Two Southdown breeders from the United States attended, but they did not buy—the quality was too good and prices too high.