SALE SUMMARY
2017 2016
Offered 128 128
Sold 126 123
Top $5200 $4600
Average $2133 $1737
A BIG crowd including 48 registered bidders helped Ridgway Poll Merino stud lift its clearance rate, average and top price at its on-property auction at Kulkami on Monday last week.
Ric, Gail, Matt and Rachel Ridgway sold 126 of 128 rams offered to $5200, averaging $2133.
The result was a lift of $600 in top price and a $395 rise in average from last year, reflecting the increased confidence within the sheep industry.
With standout wool and carcase performance figures, the top price ram attracted strong bidding competition before it was knocked down to regular Ridgway clients Glen and Jeffery Hampel, GMR & J Nominees, Loxton, for $5200.
The ram had wool measurements of 20.8 micron, 2.6 standard definition, 12.5 coefficient of variation and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.
Its MerinoSelect figures were the most impressive feature, having the highest yearling clean fleece weight in the catalogue at +32, the highest yearling staple length of 17.9 and the third highest MP+ index of 162.4.
It was sired by R721, renowned for consistently breeding well-nourished, bold crimping and long-stapled wools.
The Hampels bought four rams at a $3150 average.
Duane Simon, McPiggery, Lameroo, was active early in the auction, buying the equal second-highest price rams for $5000 each at lot 1 and 2. He added another at lot 12 for $4400, averaging $4800 across his three purchases.
Also operating at the top end were Craig and Josh Graham, Glencorrie, Maitland, who bought three high ranking rams at $4800 and $4600 twice, averaging $4667.
Tubbo Station general manager Robert Stein, Darlington Point, NSW, buying for station owner Giles Pritchard-Gordon, also bid strongly on some of the top rams early in the catalogue, before being successful on two rams at $4200 and $2600.
Several Vic buyers crossed the border to secure sires, including Stephen Allen, Goroke, Vic, with six to $3200, averaging $2400, and Simon and Thomas Brady, Rhymney, Vic, with six to $3400, averaging $2333.
Return client Rob McCarthy, Yalpara Station, Orroroo, was the sale’s volume buyer, taking 17 rams to $800, averaging $713.
Fellow regular buyer Lynton Barrett, LJ&SL Barrett, bought 11 to $2500 and averaging $1809.
Bill Walker, Classings Ltd, Murray Bridge, bought six rams in total for three separate clients – three for account Chalk, two for Wilkatana Station and one for a/c Dunn.
Also buying six rams were the Johnson family, Mt Boothby Pastoral, Tintinara, paying to $2800, averaging $1883, and Steve Paech, SN&CA Paech, topping at $2400 and averaging $1600.
Strong support once again came from Kangaroo Island, with Jeff Buick buying four rams to $3000, averaging $2750, and Mitch and Ros Willson taking two at $2800 and $2000.
Other prominent buyers included GL&SL Auricht, Pinnaroo, with five averaging $2780; Booderoo Partners, Coomandook, five averaging $1940; CG,GM&TM Philip, Maroona, Vic, five averaging $1580; EL&LA Marrett, Peake, five averaging $1440; Mallee Produce, Lameroo, five averaging $1440; and Paul Carey, Murray Bridge, five averaging $1240.
The strong demand flowed onto the mini auction of 42 rams, with 35 of clearing to $1200 and averaging $711.
Stud principal Ric Ridgway was “delighted” with the sale result.
“It was great to get a good boost at the top end of the sale and such a solid average, but the most pleasing aspect was that all our clients here today were able to get good rams within their budget,” he said.
The sale was conducted by Landmark Lameroo, with Leo Redden and Richard Miller sharing the auctioneering duties.