DEMAND for pastoral-bred ewes pushed prices to $171 at Yelta, Vic, off-shears sale on October 8.
AJ&PA McBride's Teetulpa Station, Yunta, was the successful vendors of the top pen, a run of 489 July/August 2013-drop, August-shorn Merinos, Faraway Hill-blood ewes which sold to Prill Park, Euston, Vic.
A further 243 ewes of the same description made $128.
Teetulpa manager Warren Breeding said the young ewes were bred at Teetulpa in the state's north east and were based on genetics from the company's Nepowie stud near Lucindale.
"Much of the credit should be attributed to my brother Lindsey who is the stud manager as well as McBride's operations manager," he said.
"It all starts with Lindsey - he produces the rams and classes our ewes. We just wait for the rain!"
Mr Breeding also acknowledged sale regulars Mutooroo Pastoral Company.
"Since their involvement at the Yelta sales, they have set the benchmark," he said.
Mutooroo Pastoral Company's Lilydale Station sold 356 May/June 2013-drop ewes, September-shorn and Mutooroo-blood, at $165, with more runs of 405 and 518 ewes of the same description making $156 and $138.
Mutooroo Station sold 453 May/June 2013-drop ewes of the same bloodline at $164, as well as a run of 75 at $160 and 137 at $112.
Springwood Pastoral Company, Springwood Station, via Wentworth, NSW, sold 391 August/September 2013-drop ewes, September-shorn and Anama-blood ewes, at $151, and 205 at $104.
A run of 151 SAMM-Merinos, August/September 2013-drop, Tara Downs-blood, made $151 for Jascalim Pty Ltd, Tara Downs, Wentworth, which also sold 143 Tara Downs-blood 2013-drop Merino ewes at $138.
Avondale Rural Trading, Avondale Station, Broken Hill, NSW, sold 288 May/June 2013-drop, September-shorn, Mulloorie-blood ewes at $150 and a second run of 122 at $92.
Mooleulooloo Pastoral Company, Mooleulooloo Station, sold 411 May/June 2013-drop, August/September-shorn, North Ashrose-blood ewes at $148, and Chowilla Props, Chowilla Station, Renmark, sold 750 July/August 2013-drop ewes, May-shorn and Kelvale-blood, to $142.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 16, 2014 issue.