THE Vandeleur family's decision to introduce a Mid North ram sale for their Rices Creek Poll Merino stud has paid off in spades.
Bidding was fast and frantic at Saddleworth on Tuesday last week with all 70 rams snapped up to a $3400 top, averaging $1321.
Mark and Marilyn Phillips, Eudunda, paid the top price for the second ram offered - a big-barrelled, 122-kilogram April/May 2013-drop ram.
The couple, who have been buying at Rices Creek for about 10 years, were impressed by the ram's large frame and heavy-cutting wool, which measured 20.8 microns with a standard deviation of 3.6, 16 per cent coefficient of variation and 99.5pc comfort factor.
"We liked that he was big-bodied, plain-faced and cuts heaps of wool," Mr Phillips said.
"We're after a more dual-purpose animal, and with our wool we focus more on dollars per head than dollars a kilogram."
The ram, along with a 20.9M sire bought at the sale for $1900, will head to the Phillips' grazing property between Morgan and Burra, where the couple run 4500 Merino ewes.
Stud principal Jim Vandeleur said he was thrilled with the total clearance.
"We're very pleased, especially since we didn't know what to expect or how many rams to offer," he said.
"We're trying to produce big-bodied rams with well-nourished medium wools that do well in all environments."
The stud has hosted on-property sales at Tintinara for the past six years, but this year added a Saddleworth sale for their Mid North clients for the first time - offering a total of 118 rams, compared with 46 in 2013.
And the result at Saddleworth vindicated the decision.
JW&ACA Allison, Yalcowinna Station, Broken Hill, NSW, were the sale's volume buyers, taking home eight rams at $1000 and one at $800.
Active throughout the auction, Paul and Michael Doering, Walmona Pastoral, Truro, secured eight to $1600, av $1300.
While local clients showed continued support, the sale was also well attended by buyers from further afield, with GR,CE&PD Finlay, Quorn, purchasing six to $1300, av $1133, and Fromm and Sons Pty Ltd, Minnipa, securing five to $1000, av $960.
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 11, 2014 issue.