AN exceptional yarding of stud and commercial ewes representing four decades of Merino breeding went under the hammer at the Blue Hills dispersal sale at Telopea Downs, Vic, on Wednesday last week.
The best of the stud ewes were great buying at $250 while commercial ewes topped at $186- slightly above current market rates.
The Thring family have been highly regarded as Merino breeders since taking up the property on the SA-Vic border.
For nearly 25 years they had been part of an annual off-shears sale, including setting an Australasian on-property record of $184 for commercial 1.5-year-old ewes in 2004.
The mixed-age stud ewes were presented in groups of 20 to 30 drafted into their sire joinings, but the commercial ewes were sold in large lines in their age groups.
The commercials were all scanned in-lamb to White Suffolks to start lambing in the second week of April for eight weeks.
Stud interest on the green lawned area at Blue Hills did not hit any dizzy heights but when the sale moved into the yards for the large lines of commercial ewes, buyers lined the rails.
Bare paddocks in many districts limited the competition on the large-frame, heavy wool cutting SA-blood sheep but the interest was strong with 80 registered bidders from across SA and Vic
The first stud pen set the pace all day - the 30 April-May 2013-drop ewes joined to Poll Merino ram Mastero 137 made the $250 top. Cousins Merino Services' Paul Cousins, Burra, outlaid the top money on behalf of Darrel and Kathy Fargher, Martins Well Station in the Flinders Ranges, who had been buying Blue Hills rams for the past decade. They bought 269.
"They were a pretty good, even line of ewes with good frame and wool cut," Mr Cousins said.
"The Farghers thought they would keep the genetics going."
The two pens of daughters of Statesman 278 - one of the best rams Blue Hills has bred - sold at $230.
Callowie stud, Bordertown, was among the studs operating, snapping-up the tops of the ewe lambs. Two pens sired by Moorundie Park 34 - which Blue Hills bought in 2013 at the Adelaide Ram Sale at $30,000 -made $240 and $190.
Iconic Merino stud Collinsville was also active in buying back their bloodlines, especially some of the good horned families.
LCH Bartlett & Partner, Paul Bartlett, Keith, and his agent Elders Keith branch manager Steve Doecke sped up the proceedings with 420 stud ewe lambs to $150.
The pick of the stud ram lambs made $2400 to Vandeleur Rural Holdings, Rices Creek stud, Tintinara.
McGinty Family Trust, Apsley, Vic, bought the first three pens of commercial ewes, paying to $186 for the 773 2012-drop.
One of the best selling age groups were the ewe lambs, 1200 topping at $130, averaging $124, sold to David Gilbertson Family Trust, Keith.
Spence Dix & Co was the selling agent and director Rodney Dix commended the Thrings on the presentation of the ewes.
He said the commercial sheep sold particularly well, given the current climate.
"It was a pity that it was not supported more by some of the SA studs,'' he said. "The sheep were very good and underrated.''
Blue Hills vendor Sam Thring said the sale was "pretty good across the board".
"The commercial sheep were above where prices are at the moment and it was good to see Collinsville buying a few stud ewes," he said.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
