90th MONTANA RAM SALE – SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
2nd MONTANA EWE SALE
September 16, 2015
5 pm Social Starts
6 pm Sale
Eastern Montana Fairgrounds, Miles City, Montana
MSU Extension Sheep Seminar
10 AM-2 PM on September 16, 2015
Ft. Keogh Research Center, Miles City, Montana
HISTORY OF THE MONTANA EWE SALE
The first annual Montana Ewe Sale took place on September 10, 2015 at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds in Miles City, Montana. There was close to 500 head entered in the sale with mostly Rambouillet, Targhee, and Rafter 7 Merino crosses being offered.
The ewe sale offered some of the best female genetics available from ram sale consignors and select replacements from quality Montana commercial producers. Both ewe lambs and yearling ewes were offered in lots of 10, 20, 100 and pot load consignments.
In 1950 the Montana Wool Growers first sponsored the Montana State Ram Sale in Miles City. There are very complete records from that date forward. In talking to older members of the Wool Growers, they would tell about the ram sale in Miles City during the 1930’s and 40’s.
Then a picture showed up of the 1928 ram sale in Miles City. In researching that picture it was learned that 1928 was the third sale for the Eastern Montana Ram Sale. The picture of the rams was probably to show off the new barn as reported in the April 1928 Montana Wool Growers magazine.
“Due to the efforts and careful planning of J.H. Bohling Secretary of the Eastern Montana Fair and Ram Sale, the contract has been let to build new and permanent pens with roofs, and a covered sale ring for the Ram Sale held in connection with the Eastern Montana Fair. The building and ground will cost $3000.”
This sale was sponsored by the Eastern Montana Wool Growers in its early years and later by a group of Miles City businessmen and local sheepman. By 1950 they were ready to turn it over to someone else and the Montana Wool Growers has run it ever since.
Prior to 1950 the Montana Wool Growers had sponsored state ram sales around Montana and for a while there were several Wool Grower sponsored sales each year in different parts of the state. The earliest of the “modern” Montana Wool Grower magazines started in 1928 (we have issues from the 1880s and 90s) and it reported that the 1928 sale would be the eleventh Montana Ram Sale.
