![HEADING NORTH: East Bungaree's Will Brooks is holding the $4400 Merino topper that sold to Allen Growden (centre), Gleninga Park, Jamestown. They are with Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall, Brenton Jones, Quality Livestock, Jamestown, and Elders auctioneer Tom Penna. HEADING NORTH: East Bungaree's Will Brooks is holding the $4400 Merino topper that sold to Allen Growden (centre), Gleninga Park, Jamestown. They are with Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall, Brenton Jones, Quality Livestock, Jamestown, and Elders auctioneer Tom Penna.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-agfeed/2041724.jpg/r0_0_1024_678_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
DEPTH of quality shone through at the East Bungaree stud's annual ram sale at Hallett last week.
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The average price paid for rams penned in the main auction was down by $314 on last year, but the 107 mini-auction rams were all snapped up by eager buyers, selling to $1600 and averaging $987 - a big lift on 2012.
The sale illustrated the evenness of the offering of big-framed rams which will cut a lot of wool.
Stud principals Tony and Mark Brooks expressed satisfaction that the 215 rams sold for the impressive average of $1354.
Loyal, repeat clients were responsible for the well-sustained brisk demand, and one new buyer added to the pleasing result.
In the Merino pens, the fourth ram offered topped the category with a $4400 bid.
There was animated bidding for the well-structured ram which was knocked down to Allen Growden, Gleninga Park stud, Jamestown. It appealed with his rich, sirey 19.4-micron fleece of 99.1 per cent comfort factor.
The auction opened on a bright note when the first ram - a massive 128-kilogram Merino by the highly successful Buddy 23 - sold for $4000 to the Hams family, Broadoak stud, Whyte Yarcowie.
A 17.3M, 100CF Merino sold for $3200 to Greg and Lyn Prior, Rowbrea, Eudunda - one of four they bought for an average of $2150. The family has been an East Bungaree client for 60 years.
Also buying at the top end was Elders Riverton a/c Braebrook Pty Ltd, that secured four rams at an average of $2875 - their $4000 top price ram was a long-bodied, heavy cutting Merino with 99.9CF wool.
East Bungaree stud's Poll Merino rams had many admirers.
The $4400 topper was a Rafter son and was knocked down to Jim Maynard, operating though Landmark Mildura.
The tall, heavy cutting ram had glorious, white 19.6M wool.
Mark Hoffrichter made the long trip from Ceduna worthwhile when he bought two Polls at $4200 and $3000 for his Maramville stud.
The ram had a magnificent, long stapled fleece of 20.2M, 3.2 standard deviation, 15.1 per cent coefficient of variation and 99CF.
Another regular buyer for the past 30 years was Elders Jamestown a/c KG Honan, who selected three Merino rams to $3600, paying an average of $2300.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 3 issue, 2013.