DESPITE the absence of a few interstate regular buyers, Mulloorie achieved a higher average and cleared more rams at its Brinkworth on-property sale today.
The Meyer family offered 70 Merino and Poll Merino rams, with 64 selling under the hammer to $6200, averaging $1775 - a $57 increase on their 2019 sale, with another 13 rams sold.
There was 21 buyers registered for the sale, which was interfaced with AuctionsPlus, with all bar three going home with rams.
The sale's top price ram at $6200 was a Poll Merino bought by Warren Beattie, Mallee Hill, Ceduna, who also bought the top price Merino at lot 1 for $4000.
The top poll at lot 16 was a 114-kilogram 15-month-old son of Mulloorie Elliott - the 2018 SA Ram of the Year.
It had a whopping 44-millimetre eye muscle depth and 7mm fat depth, while its March-shorn 21.5-micron wool had 3.8 standard deviation, 16.1 coefficient of variation and 98.8 per cent comfort factor.
Mr Beattie liked the ram as it had "good structure and frame, with a big fleece cut of bold, white crimpy wool".
"Mulloorie offer the type of sheep I am trying to breed - big bulky fleeces on a heavy sheep," he said.
"We particularly liked its really loose, free growing skin, while it still had really good thick lock on it as well - it has a really bold wool that is really suited to EP and northern station clients," said Mallee Hill stud advisor Simon Seppelt, Quality Wool.
While the top Merino ram - a One Oak descendent - had a "beautiful wide stance at the back" and its "head was his best feature, with a big long white nose, silky and very pure Merino", Mr Beattie said.
The 26-month-old August-shorn ram weighed 146kg, also had a 44EMD and 10mm fat depth, while its 21.6M wool had 3.1SD, 12.6CV and 99.3CF.
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The sale's second-highest price ram at $5800 was bought by long-term clients Nigel and Deb May, Three Lakes, Elliston, who paid handsomely for their seven rams averaging $3071.
Also buying in bulk was commercial clients Jim and Tom Pluckrose, Spalding, who have been buying at Mulloorie for 20-plus years, who were looking for both Merino and Poll Merino rams with well-nourished wools. They went home with eight rams to $1800, averaging $1413.
Jon Gill, Mern-Merna Station, via Hawker, bought eight rams to $1600, averaging $925, while Tohl Brothers, Toloona, Booborowie, bought six rams to $2400, averaging $1467.
Mulloorie stud principal Paul Meyer was happy with the clearance and increase in average.
"We were unsure of how it would go today, with pastoral clients still in drought and border restrictions, but overall we were pretty proud of the rams we had on offer," he said.
One such buyer, Maddern Farms, Kaniva, Vic, operating through AuctionsPlus, took home three rams to $4000; Kerrilyn stud, Dunluce, Vic, bought one at $1000 online, while Inkermann Station, NSW, also bought three from afar averaging $933.
Elders and Nutrien conducted the sale, with Elders stud stock's Tom Penna the auctioneer.
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