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Ridgway Advance - The prefix says it all |
Properly planned breeding programs, mostly involving the use of artificial insemination, are the cornerstone of the rapidly-growing popularity of the Ridgway family's Ridgway Advance stud.
The home base of David and Karen Ridgway is in the Senior area, 32 kilometres north of Bordertown in South Australia's South East, with other holdings 15km north of Bordertown, at Joanna, south east of Naracoorte and north of Lameroo in the Murray Mallee.
Establishing a genotype over 10 years
The Ridgway's have always aimed to produce sheep with a loose, pliable skin with long -stapled, white wools.
They have been careful not to sacrifice wool cuts and to retain the large SA frame.
The mulesing debate has given this type of sheep a strong push in recent years and for the first time this year the Ridgways dispensed with the mulesing shears.
Of the 1700 ewes in the Ridgway Advance flock 1500 are mated by AI, targeting proven outside sires and top home-bred rams aiming at all times to produce uniform lines of sheep.
"We are moving forward by introducing genotypes, still with our basic ideals well-and -truely in mind- and in the process we are creating our own genotype," David explained.
"Visitors to our ram sale on August 13 will be able to see for themselves that there is very little difference in the quality of rams from Lot 1 to Lot 130"
In the stud's aim at concentrating on getting enough genetics from top proven sires for its breeding program, larger numbers of sheep from these elite lines can be provided.
Basically, Ridgway Advance is trying to simplify Merino breeding within the flock and for its clients.
It is supplying big-framed, plain-bodied fertile rams with strong constitutions and bone carrying long stapled, free-growing white wools in the 17-20 micron range.
David explained "We have never lost sight of the fact that today's Merinos have to possess dual-purpose characteristics. We haven't chased fads, just gone down the path we firmly beleive is the right one for ourselves, our clients and the sheep industry as a whole."
Selection Of Stock Journal Article, June 26 08, Richard James
07 Report : Catherine Miller - “It was raining bids with a packed gallery competing for the March shorn robust wool & meat machines at David & Karen Ridgway’s annual on-property sale, cementing the stud’s reputation as a pace-setter within the Merino Industry.
With the average up $170 on 06, the buoyant total clearance reflected the increased confidence in the meat & wool industries and highlighted Ridgway Advance’s concentration on breeding the ‘Modern Merino’ with free-growing, long stapled, soft wool. Malcolm Scroop officiated the bidding and commented ‘buyers couldn’t wait to get their hands on the sheep’.” 100 rams averaged $1450 to a top $4800. Mini Auction averaged $527
Visitors to the RIDGWAY ADVANCE ram sale on
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12th 2009
will be able to see for themselves the depth of quality and uniformity
in the 200 On-Property Auction Rams.