Sims Uardry Merino

Sims Uardry Merino Ram

The Sims Uardry stud was established in 1998. It is a completely separate stud developed for sheepbreeders who require large framed, plain bodied, fertile, easy-care sheep, with the heavy cutting, quality Uardry wool. The Sims Uardry merino is particularly suited to the pastoral areas where clients could relate to the Collinsville bloodline.

The first progeny of the Sims Uardry stud made headlines at the 2000 Uardry Stud Foundation Sale when Sims Uardry Dynamo, winner of the two-tooth Riverina Ram of the Year, sold for $20,000 and 116 Uardry and Sims Uardry rams averaged $1,215.

The Sims Uardry stud continues to create great interest being successful in both the show and sale ring.

So Why Sims Uardry?

In the pastoral areas wool producers have very few options to diversify. To maximise returns from sheep in these areas we can see the advantages of a dual-purpose, meat and wool producing merino.

We felt that to breed this type of sheep successfully within the Uardry stud (which is renowned as a parent stud for its heavy cutting, quality wool) would take several generations which we considered too long.

In order to supply the demand sooner, we took the step to form a new stud.

In 1998 1,200 Uardry stud ewes were selected: 200 from the Special studs and 1,000 from the General studs. Semen was purchased from Collinsville sires, JCS215 and JCS16; and Charinga sires, 20 and 180, for use in an AI programme. Eight two-tooth Collinsville sires with an average micron of 20.8 were also purchased for paddock joining.

In 1999 the Sims Uardry stud purchased the top priced Charinga ram for $26,000 in a syndicate of 3 buyers. Charinga is a leading merino stud in Victoria. The Sims Uardry stud also purchased the three highest priced sires at the 1999 Collinsville sale, with an average micron of 20.7.

The stud is named in memory of Mrs Margaret Black (née Sims) who purchased Uardry in 1973. Mrs Black followed in the footsteps of her father, Sir Arthur Sims, who first started buying rural property in 1919 when he purchased Yanga Station at Balranald, owned by the Black family until 2005.