AN AUSTRALIAN record was set at the combined Allendale and Days Whiteface sale on Friday at Bordertown with a Suffolk ram topping $13,500 at the on-property auction.
Allendale sold A141565 for $13,500 to return buyers the Bascomb family, White Flat stud, Port Lincoln, through Elders Cummins' Paul Kilby.
The impressive ram was sired by A121070 and was champion ram at the recent Melbourne Royal Show, a fitting reward for the Day family in their 80th year of showing Suffolks.
"For us, the standout factors on this ram were his length and muscling. He is so well balanced and has performance on the board in the show ring, and through objective measurement, and will supplement what we have already established in our 80-ewe flock," David Bascomb said.
The Bascomb family also bought five Suffolk stud ewes from $400 to $900.
An excellent 95 per cent clearance was achieved for 434 stud ewes and stud and flock rams, producing a sale average of $1464 and gross of $603,100, up nearly $200,000 on the previous year.
A big crowd, which included 134 registered bidders from four states, bid strongly during the five-and-a-half hour sale.
Allendale's Alastair and Jayne Day offered and sold 105 Suffolks and 117 Poll Dorsets, while sale hosts, Days Whiteface's Lachy and Lou Day sold 166 White Suffolks and 23 maternal composites.
Another A121070 son, A141486, a Royal Adelaide Show champion also sold to the Eyre Peninsula, to Don Millard and family, She-Oak Lodge stud, Mount Hope, for $5000.
Buying through Hill Livestock's Peter Hill, Mr Millard also bought A141478Tw for $4500, a Mornish 120018 NZ son, A141424 for $8500, and a White Suffolk for $4000.
Long-time Allendale clients Kent and Rose Martin, Chickerloo stud, Kalangadoo, again invested in a top ram. Combining with Claire Davey, Lanacoona stud, Wrattonbully, they bought the first Suffolk stud ram offered, 41439, another Mornish 120018 NZ son for the $9500 second top price in this section.
In an exceptionally strong run, 16 Suffolk stud rams averaged $5421, up $1705 on last year.
Allendale Suffolk flock rams topped at $2200 and averaged $1374, the highest flock ram average of the four breed combined sale and up $282 on last year's result.
Days White Suffolk flock rams sold at a $1302 average, up $520 on last year. These sold to a $2100 top paid twice by Denholm Green Pastoral Co, Hexham, NSW, buying through Lanyons Hamilton, Vic. They bought nine rams, averaging $1833.
Lachy and Lou Day's White Suffolk stud offerings also met improved competition from last year. In the stud ram section, Days 140003, sired by D120284, set the ball rolling when selling for the top of $13,000. The winning bidder was Leigh Richards, Tongara stud, Coonalpyn, buying through Elders Coonalpyn.
"We were seeking a ram with structural correctness and especially good shoulders for our program. This ram is so balanced and correct with very good stretch and is supported by more than adequate figures," Mr Richards said. The figures were highlighted by a 1.4 post weaning eye muscle depth and a 182.5 Carcase Plus Index.
The 14 White Suffolk stud rams averaged $3981, up $1884 on last year, while 24 of the 28 White Suffolk ewes found new homes from $400 to $700 and at a $575 average, up $155 on last year.
Days Whiteface also offered 42 maternal composites, with 23 sold averaging $917.
Baker Group farm manager Geoff Agnew, Furner, bought 14 to the $1200 top price.
The Allendale Poll Dorset offering included 12 stud rams which sold to $11,000, averaging $4313, up 71pc on last year's $2520 average.
