KONGAL Park Merino and Poll Merino stud's on-property dispersal sale at Kongal on Thursday last week produced the farewell to the industry stud principals Francis and Monica Andrews had hoped for, with young Poll Merino ewes topping at $390 and ram lambs hitting $420.
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In a total Merino and Poll Merino clearance clearance, the 640 August shorn ewes aged between one year and 5.5 years, and 411 ewe and ram lambs were in strong demand.
The tops in each age group – representing 49 years of stud breeding – were keenly sought by fellow stud breeders, and commercial breeders from the Mallee, Kangaroo Island and South East also found reasonable buying in the sheep renowned for their plain bodies, large frames and heavy wool-cutting.
The first pen of the day of 10 one-year-old ewes was the bargain buy at $110.
Bidding soon became more animated, and Darren Cameron, Goroke, Vic paid $380 for the first pen of 1.5-year-old Poll Merino ewes sired by PB001.
The next pen – also the tops of the 1.5-year-olds – made $390.
The sale-topping pen included two broad-ribbon winners from the 2013 Royal Adelaide Show – the junior champion ewe and reserve champion fine wool ewe. These, along with 37 ewe lambs will be the foundation for a Poll Merino stud.
"I was looking to buy the best and they have beautiful well nourished, long-stapled wool," Mr Cameron said.
Trevor and Matt Fiebig, Hilton Heath, Keith, won the bidding duel for the tops of the 3.5-year-olds at $340.
Mallee Agventures, which bought the top-price ram at Kongal Park's final ram sale in August, left its mark on the sale after taking 13 pens of mature ewes and two pens of ewe lambs including the sale's top-price Merino ewes – 3.5-year-olds at $155.
Jono Ashby, Southrose stud, Tintinara, was another astute buyer with 163 ewes ranging from one-year-old to 4.5-years, paying to $180.
Another highlight was the tops of the Poll ram lambs which made $420. The woolly April-June 2013 drops were bought by David Lock, Lockhaven, Mundulla, a ram client of the stud for decades.
* Full report in Stock Journal's October 31 edition.
