97th Annual Montana Ram Sale
September 15th, 2022
Eastern Montana Fairgrounds-Miles City, MT
Lunch: starts at 11 am, Sale: 12pm
Helpful links:
3 ways to view the sale catalogs! Print Catalog, Excel File, or Online Sale! See Below:
2022 Print Sale Catalog-UPDATED 9-13
MT Ram Sale Excel File-9-13-22
Visit the Online Ram Sale Page
(Catalog Viewing instructions-click “View Auction Items”)
Click HERE for 9th Annual Ewe Sale INFO
2022 Consignment List and Sale Details!
Join us in Miles City, MT, for sheep week! The 9th Annual Montana Ewe Sale, and 97th Annual Montana Ram Sale will take place September 14 and 15 at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds. Our MWGA member-consignors have been working hard to get all their data collected, sorting through their rams and ewes, and making plans for sale week all year long.
The work begins for the consignors early in the week, as rams and ewes arrive on the grounds. Each ram and ewe sold on-site is individually inspected by the sale veterinarian. After the sheep are settled in, the fun begins!
On Wednesday, September 14, Montana State University Extension will be hosting an educational program. The program runs from 10 AM until 3 PM and includes a spectacular barbecue lamb lunch. Topics covered include: learning to combine NSIP values with physical evaluations of bucks. This will be a hands-on portion, led by Dr Chris Posbergh and Brent Roeder of Montana State. Liz and Sarah from the MSU Wool Lab will then discuss how wool is sorted into different lines for fabric uses. Ryan Keyes of Elevate will prepare a lamb loin chop lunch from 11:30am til 1pm. Updates in the afternoon will begin at 1pm in the new Events Center on the fairgrounds. Look forward to updates on the building plans for the new MSU Wool Lab, a visit with Doug Ekberg of Wildlife Services, MSU research updates from Masters Student Danny Schaub. Ben Lehfeldt will fill everyone in on what’s new with the American Sheep Industry Association, Dave McEwen will provide an update from the American Lamb Board, Sam Ortmann will speak about the Wool Council, and more! There will be something for everyone.
Take the afternoon to explore Miles City, do some shopping (especially with our sale sponsors), check into your hotel, and enjoy a little air conditioning! Come back to Eastern MT Fairgrounds to view the ram and ewes in the offering at anytime. Be sure to get a bidders number from the Frontier Stockyards table in the Pavilion. The Ewe Sale social will begin at 5pm, with snacks and a cash bar available. The Ewe Sale starts promptly at 6pm. A variety of breeds and crossbred ewes will be offered, on-site and off-site.
On Thursday morning, buyers will be showing up to take a look at the 310+ range rams offered in the 97th Annual Montana Ram Sale. Grab a donut and cup of coffee and stroll the aisles looking over the offering. This sale provides data including: scrapie codon, NSIP data, production records, ribeye scans, wool micron, and more! Visit with consignors to get your questions answered and find a ram that fits your flock. There are several breeds available from our 26 consignors. We’d like to welcome Dylan Laverell of Sweet Grass Targhees, and Rebecca McEuen of Running Wild American Cormos, as our new consignors this year!
A lamb lunch will be served from 11AM until the food is gone. American Leg-of-lamb will be the spotlight of the meal. The sale will kick-off at noon sharp.
If you’re unable to join in-person, register to watch and bid online for both sales at Frontier Productions website: frontierproductions.com
Please register to bid online with Frontier Productions, LLC. Visit: frontierlivesale.com
The sales will be streamed live. You can also call in your bid on the phone(numbers listed on next page). Please line-up transportation if you are planning to buy online. Call Leah Johnson, Ram Sale Manager, at (406)442-1330 ahead with questions. Buyers are responsible for their own transport arrangements for purchases.
Lodging Information:
Miles City Hotel & Suites | 406-234-1000 | 1720 S. Haynes Ave, Miles City, Montana
Ask for the Ram Sale Rate!
Miles City Hotel: 1615 S Haynes Ave.
Miles City Hotel & Suites: 1720 S Haynes Ave.
Read About Last Year’s Sale:
Click Here to View the SALE RESULTS-Posted 9-20-21
Print Catalog-UPDATED 9-16-21
Click Here to View the Online Ram Sale Catalog! UPDATED 9-16-21
History of the Montana Ram Sale
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.2022SaleCatalog-FINAL 9-13