Collinsville Stud Poll Merino Majestic Ram

Majestic $30,000 sale - Sherlock stud strikes deal for Collinsville genetics

Mallee stud Sherlock has paid $30,000 for a Collinsville Poll Merino ram in a private deal struck last week. New owners Wes and Andy Titley are thrilled they have found a large-framed, plain-bodied, almost structurally-flawless ram with tremendous wool to take them forward after their recent success represeenting SA in the national pairs at Bendigo in 2007. It is one of the highest prices paid for a South Australian-bred ram in recent years. And Mr Titley says Collinsville Majestic is “for our times, for 2010 and beyond”. “He also has free-growing wool with good fibre alignment and good wool where a lot of Polls let themselves down.

He has good wool on the scrag (behind the head) and down the back legs,” he said. Collinsville Majestic, a May 2007-drop son of the great JC&S Monarch 074, has fleece measurements of 19.8 micron, standard deviation of 2.9, a coefficient of variation of 14.7 per cent and 99.3pc comfort factor. At the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo in July, where he was on display, he weighed 110 kilograms. The Titleys proved persistence pays and, after an offer to buy Majestic as a ram lamb in March was rejected, they went into negotiations again with Collinsville following the Mid North inspection day.

The sale continues Sherlock’s long-term use of Collinsville bloodlines – purchasing rams from the Mid North stud for the past 16 years. The Titleys also delivered on a promise to buy a stud sire to give Sherlock’s clients a breeding edge. Collinsville stud manager Tim Dalla said the stud had no initial plans to part with the stud sire, but he was pleased the ram would remain in South Australia and praised stud adviser Paul Cousins for breeding him. “I have travelled around a fair bit lately and believe he is one of the best Polls bred in recent times throughout Australia,” he said. “‘Majestic is an outstanding stud sire with magnificent longstapled, super soft, deeplycrimped lustrous wool. All of this on a huge plain-bodied, earlymaturing, meaty frame. With true dual-purpose characteristics, he is ideally suited to a vast range of environments, current markets and future industry requirements.”

Landmark stud stock account manager Gordon Wood, who brokered the sale, agreed the Poll Merino deserved a big wrap and said there were few big-framed rams also backed with elite wools. Sherlock will have full physical possession of Majestic with semen available from both studs. The ram on display at Collinsville’s on-property ram sale on September 23.