AUCTIONEERS hardly raised a sweat to clear all 255 growthy Merino and Poll Merino rams at the Brooks family's East Bungaree stud, Hallett, on Tuesday last week.
Acknowledged far and wide as true dual-purpose sheep, the sale average wool test was 19.3 microns, 3.6 standard deviation, 17.2 coefficient of variation and 99 per cent comfort factor.
Coupled with tremendous bone, meaty carcases and heavy- cutting fleeces, the rams provided the best of both worlds for buyers from three states.
"The sale result gave us immense satisfaction as we place more emphasis on presenting as many quality rams as possible for our loyal commercial clients, and the total clearance was our reward," stud principal Tony Brooks said.
It was the massive-frame Merino ram in lot one that topped the auction at $6000, paid by the Bury family's Jaburee stud, Wilmington, operating through Landmark Melrose. They have been on East Bungaree blood for 40 years.
The ram was covered with a bulky, white wool measuring 20.1M, 3.7SD, 18.2CV and 98.5CF.
Another family with long-standing ties to East Bungaree, Ivan and Fred Fiegert, Edilillie, took three of the next four Merino rams, paying $3400, $3000 and $1800, their big-frame top price ram featuring a long-stapled, deeply crimped wool measuring 18.6M, 2.6SD, 14CV and 99.8CF.
Luke Saegenschnitter had to stretch his bids to $3200 to secure a 19.5M Merino for his stud at Truro.
Three rams to $2800 in the front row to another client of many years standing, Kevin Honan kept the solid sale tempo going.
Wes, Kate and Angus Herring, Gum Park station, Broken Hill, also entered the fray in the early pens, paying to $3200 for 17 quality rams, 10 from the main auction and the remainder from the mini- auction pens.
"We have been on East Bungaree blood for 75 years and they have given us tremendous constitution and frame size - and they fill the bales," Wes said.
Other strong pastoral buyers included John Rowe, who bid successfully on seven rams in the main auction and others from the mini-auction for The Oaks Partnership, Hawker. The neighbouring station, Michael, Mark and Chris McAuley's Kanyaka Props, bought 11 rams, while first-time buyer Steve Withers, Springwood station, Wentworth, selected 10 rams from the mini- auction pens.
South East purchases were headed by Landmark Keith's Noel Evans, who selected eight rams for Barry Farmer, Virginia Farm Produce, who owns Kangaringa Station.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 2, 2014 issue.
