The following is a press release from the Wyoming Wool Growers Association:
When the highest quality products meet record high demand, usually great things happen. Such was the situation on September 13, 2011 in Douglas, WY when 294 of the “best of the best” rams were offered for sale to ram buyers looking for the highest quality seedstock available. When the dust finally settled on the saw-dust strewn sale ring on the grounds of the Wyoming State Fairgrounds, several Wyoming State Ram Sale (WSRS) records were shattered and the Sale record books will now have to be re-written.
The Wyoming Wool Growers Association sponsored sale has become one of the highest grossing sales of its kind in the nation, and has set record high national prices in the past. That is most likely to be the case this year as well, with 294 rams from some of the nations best seedstock producers setting a WSRS record high average price of $884.44 per head.
Topping this years sale was a tremendous yearling ram consigned by the Forbes and Rabel operation of Kaycee, WY. Truman Julian of Julian Land and Livestock was determined that this exceptional animal was going home to Kemmerer, WY and when auctioneer Shawn Madden’s final gavel fell, the former Sale record price of $4,000, set back in 2008, was replaced by what may very well end up being the national high price paid for a Rambouillet ram at auction with Julian’s handing over $5,250.00 to own the ram.
Pictured is the high selling ram from the 2011 Wyoming State Ram Sale with (l to r) Matt Rabel, Truman Julian, Marie Julian, Jim Forbes.
Once again, the Rambouillet division led the way with 157 head averaging $1,064.01 per head, setting a new record high average price for the WSRS. The Targhee division followed next, with an average price of $981.48 on 27 head sold. An indication of what a tremendous year this was for the WSRS, the $981 per head average of the Targhee’s in and of itself would have surpassed the previous high average price for any division of the WSRS, if not for the amazing prices paid for Rambouillet’s this year.
Another indication of the sheep industry’s “renaissance” is found by the average price paid for rams in the Columbia breed division. Over the past several years, this particular division has struggled, with many breeders even choosing to leave the breed. Those that chose to stay were rewarded this year when this division averaged $890 per head, again another breed division record high average price.
The ram lambs fresh off the WWGA/University of Wyoming/Mountain States Lamb Cooperative “Ram Sire Test”, conducted every summer at UW, were in strong demand as well. The 20 head of ram lambs born this year which qualified for inclusion in the WSRS averaged $740 per head, once again another division high average price. This division was topped by an exceptional Suffolk lamb consigned by Allison Ramsbottom of Kaycee, WY. He was purchased by Bob Harlan,also of Kaycee, for $1,600.
The Wyoming Wool Growers Association is extremely proud and appreciative of both the outstanding consignors who trust and support the Association by consigning their animals to the WSRS, as well as to the buyers who support the Sale year in and year out. Without these two groups of individuals, the WWGA would be unable to continue the tradition which is wrapped around the Wyoming State Ram Sale
The full sale results are listed below (all results are preliminary and unaudited and may change slightly upon final audit):
Source: Wyoming Wool Growers Association
Posted by Haylie Shipp
