North Ashrose On-Property Sale
Wednesday 12 September
160 Quality Merino & Poll Merino Rams
300 Stud Ewes
Inspection 10.00 A.M
Auction 1.00 PM
Australian Wool Medal
Tom Ashby was last week recognised with an Australian Wool Medal during ‘Wool Week’ for his commitment, dedication and service to the industry. The Australian Wool Industry Medal recognises men and women who have made an exceptional and sustained contribution to the Australian wool industry.
There were five Australian Wool Medals presented, three from SA, one from NSW and one from Victoria. Chairman, David Michell presented the medals on behalf of Federation of Australian Wool Organisations (FAWO).
Tom has taken North Ashrose from strength to strength since the early 1980s, but his influence breeding Merinos has gone far wider.
After a long-running involvement with the SA Stud Merino Breeders he served as president of the Australian Stud Merino Breeders Association from 2006 to 2012 and has just completed a four-year term as president of the World Federation of Merino Breeders.
Mr Ashby, who is also a life member of Merino SA, says it has been really rewarding holding industry positions.
“If people don’t stand up for their industry nothing happens,” he said.
“I have met some many good people and had such a good insight into the whole industry.”
He says his greatest highlight has been working with clients across Australia and overseas, particularly South America, to improve their flocks while at the same time lifting the quality of their own stud flock.
“The industry is going along so well, it is just a pity there is a raging drought across about two thirds of Australia when we should be reaping the rewards.”
“We are really marketing wool to the world much better than we did in my early breeding years and the product is so much better.” he said.
Mr Ashby says it has been really rewarding working with young people coming through the industry over the past 15 years, including implementing the Breeding Leadership course in 2002 which is now a national event.
Read more from the Stock Journal here.
Elders SA Stud Merino Expo 2018
The SA Elders Stud Merino Expo was held over the 19th and 20th March, with 11 Mid-North Studs hosting on-property displays for day one and an expo held at Burra on day two with 27 studs presenting some of their top rams.
North Ashrose studmaster Tom Ashby said crowds were up on previous year’s numbers throughout the Mid-North with great interest in South Australian genetics from interstate.
“It was pleasing to see so many people taking interest in the next generation of sheep genetics. There was a sense of positivity during the field days driven by current wool and sheepmeat prices.”
“The field days bring together South Australia’s finest selection of rams and it’s a chance for potential buyers to view their spring selection ahead of the stud selling season.”
North Ashrose took out the Champion Pair of Ram Lambs, and Reserve Champion Ram & Ewe Pair.
Champion Pair of Ram Lambs at the SA Elders Stud Merino Expo, sponsored by WSB Distributors
Breeding Leadership
23 future wool industry leaders participated in the Breeding Leadership course. This biennial, week-long program, funded by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), is designed to improve the leadership skills of young people already in the wool industry.
Delivered in Clare, South Australia, by consultancy firm Rural Directions, Breeding Leadership covers personal leadership skills as well as strategic planning and team leadership. The program also included an industry tour of Michell Wool and Anlaby Station, as well as local farm tours (including North Ashrose) and guest speakers.
Helping develop the next wool leaders is a significant focus at AWI, just as it is important to develop the next wool textile experts, wool fashion designers and of course, wool consumers. While young students get introduced to wool through Learn About Wool kits and the Wool4School competition, the next generation of woolgrowers, shearers, brokers and geneticists learn skills through the National Merino Challenge and, in-time, Breeding Leadership.
AWI CEO, Stuart McCullough said "it was great to meet these young people and speak with a room filled with optimism and hope and gained some great insights into their vision for the future of wool". Mr McCullough delivered a session sharing the AWI strategic direction and insights into current and planned projects.
Since its inception, Breeding Leadership has put more than 150 young people through the course; many of them hold leading roles in the wool industry today.
Angus Ashby of North Ashrose undertook the course and said, "the networking opportunities are fantastic and we heard from some insightful breeders and industry leaders."
"I'm looking forward to putting in place some of the strategies we learnt throughout the course," he said.
Participants were selected from throughout the wool industry. Participants backgrounds range from on-farm to education and wool marketing.
2018 Breeding Leadership participants:
| South Australia: Angus Ashby, Gulnare Chelsea Dahlenburg, Naracoorte Angus Halliday, Bordertown Royce Pitchford, Clare William Sandow, WatervaleNew South Wales: Alexandra Cesnik, Gumly Gumly Jayde Cluff, Deniliquin Roy Elliott, Eumungerie Jock Fisher, Gulargambone Ross Fletcher, Walcha Ally Jaffrey, Crookwell Henry Ridge, Sydney Mark Scott, Sydney |
Western Australia: Stephen Chappell, Lake Grace Daniel Dempster, Goomalling Kyle Gumprich, Narrogin Justin Haydock, Narrogin Alex House, Claremont Carl Storer, CunderdinQueensland: Benn Wilson, Dirranbandi Tasmania: Victoria: |
Breeding Leadership participants visited North Ashrose
World Merino Conference 2018
We're proud to say Angus Ashby has been awarded a fellowship with Merino SA to attend the World Merino Conference in Uruguay, in April 2018. Angus will represent South Australia, bringing his experience and knowledge back to fellow Merino breeders. He will be speaking at the National Merino Challenge in Adelaide following the trip.
World Federation Merino President, Tom Ashby will also attend the World Merino Conference.
North Ashrose On Property Sale 2017
Strong bidding from commercial and stud clients helped the North Ashrose stud, Gulnare, achieve full clearance of 160 Poll Merino and Merino rams and a $2108 average at the 2017 On-Property Sale.
The average was $183 up on last year’s sale.
Making the top price was a Poll Merino weighing 109 kilograms, with a 39.6-millimetre eye muscle depth, 7mm fat depth and it measured 137.7 on the 7 per cent Dual Purpose Index.
Its fleece was 20.5 micron, with 2.6 standard deviation, 12.6 coefficient of variation and 100pc comfort factor. The ram also had a greasy fleece weight percentage of 165pc.
The sire was knocked down to James, Alex and Eddie Morgan, Mutooroo Pastoral Company, Cockburn.
James said the top price ram, along with two other Poll Merinos bought for $4800 and $4600, would go into their Mutooroo Poll Merino stud.
He said the $8000 sheep impressed because of its scale, wool production and correctness.
“Its body weight and fleece weight is well above average, and it fits all our criteria,” he said.
The Morgans have been buying from North Ashrose for more than a decade.
“I keep returning because of the rams’ wool quality, their doing-ability and their structure,” James said.
The Morgans bought three other Poll Merinos to $3000, averaging of $2733, for their Outalpa Station at Olary.
There were plenty of interstate bidders, including Bangate Station, Walgett, NSW, with 12 rams to $2400, averaging $1891, and Lemon Grove Poll Merino stud, Nyngan, NSW, with 12 rams to $3600, averaging $2066.
Regular buyer RN Robinson, Jamestown, bought six rams to $2400, averaging $1833, and another long-term client HG Thompson & Son, Minlaton, took two rams to $5000, averaging $3700.
Volume buyers were Minburra Station, Orroroo, with 14 rams to $1600, averaging $1378; Therlow Downs Station, Bourke, NSW, 26 rams at $1200; Wadnaminga Station, Mannahill, 14 rams to $2800, averaging $1850; and WH Lines & Co, 14 rams to $3800, averaging $2728.
Hyde Pastoral, Port Lincoln, which has sold wool for 1610 cents/kg in the past few months, bought seven rams to $3200, averaging $2114.
Another regular Eyre Peninsula client Blacker Partners, Cummins, bought the highest price Merino at $4800. The ram weighed 110kg, with 40EMD and 6mm fat. Its fleece measured 18M, 3.2SD, 17.9CV and 99.6CF.
The same buyer bought another two Merinos at $3600 and $2200.
Sharing the auctioneering duties were Landmark stud stock manager Gordon Wood, Elders stud stock agent Tom Penna and Elders Jamestown territory sales manager Scott Fleetwood.
Mr Penna said the sale attracted a lot of long-term clients, some who had been buying from North Ashrose for generations.
“These long-term buyers are reinvesting their really good returns into their ram purchases, which lifted North Ashrose’s average price accordingly,” he said.
Mr Wood said North Ashrose rams were suited to a range of environments.
“North Ashrose produces wool-producing, big carcase sheep that have natural doing-ability, which see them thrive in high rainfall zones through to pastoral areas,” he said.
Stud principal Tom Ashby was pleased with the sale result.
“It shows the confidence in the sheep and wool industry at the moment,” he said.
“The market is very strong, and the sale result shows people’s commitment to the industry.”
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