Competition was tight at Springvale North on Friday last week, and buyers from across the state pushed the price beyond $5000 twice.
The Burra stud offered 100 large-framed Poll Merino rams with well-defined white wool at its 17th on-property sale and achieved a pleasing clearance of 93, to a top of $5500 – a $500 lift on last year.
Bidding stated high early with a 107-kilogram lot two ram pushed to $5200.
The ram carried Collinsville blood and had fleece measurements of 20.4 micron, 2.9 standard deviation 14.2 coefficient of variation, and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
The bidding war continued and at lot nine, the top price of $5500 was reached for the 109kg ram from a Greenfields bloodline, with wool figures of 20.8m, 2.7 SD, 13.9 CV and 99.5pc CF.
The proud purchaser of both rams was L&AO Thomas, American River, who ended the sale with 12 rams averaging $3533.
Alan Thomas said they have made the trek from Kangaroo Island to Springvale North for about five years and liked the “size and beautiful long, lustrous wool” of the top rams.
“We come back for the size of the sheep the the quality wool cut and will run the rams over our Merino flock which we are trying to increase,” Mr Thomas said.
Stud co-principal, Peter Stockman was pleased with the outcome of the sale in what has been a tough season, and said the “top end was very good” with a lot of return buyers.
“It was a good sale and we got a good clearance which was what we were after,” he said.
“The bulk of the rams were all paddock run, with a few station bred as well.”
Mr Stockman said in the past few months, Springvale North had achieved record highs for Merino wether lambs, and their best price for wool.
“The lineup of sale rams presented were big, plain bodied rams with bright, white, free-growing, well-defined wools,” he said.
“They are the most even and consistent rams we have put forward in the last few years.”
With 22 registered buyers, competition remained strong deep into the catalogue, and rams continued to surpass $1500 into the back quarter of the sale.
Volume buyers included Tikalina Pastoral, Broken Hill, with 14 rams averaging $600; N&C Klinger, Jamestown, bought nine to $1600, averaging $1144; and BT&KS Williams, Orroroo, bought seven, averaging $671.
KA, DK&NJ Hawthorne, Pinnaroo, won the bid for seven rams to $4200, averaging $1914; RH Verner & Co, Gawler, bought five to $2100, averaging $1600; and P&W Stacey, Jamestown, bought four rams averaging $1025.
From up north, LK Duffy & Co, Orroroo, bought four averaging $1650; AC&MT Kuerschner, Orroroo, bought four averaging $900; and GK JL&JK Noll, Melrose, went to $2000 twice, and ended up with five averaging $1700.
Buyers from the Eyre Peninsula included G&A Baker, Streaky Bay, who bought three rams averaging $1500, and AD Hutchings & Co, Wudinna, with seven to a top of $3000, averaging $1686.
Landmark auctioneer Richard Miller said it was a pleasing result for the Stockman’s and there were a large number of repeat buyers who got value for money.
“There was strong competition in the top run and consistent station orders through the back,” he said
“Springvale (North) continue to produce big, heavy boned sheep with terrific weight for age, and with just a power of wool on their back.”
The sale was conducted by Landmark with Richard Miller as auctioneer.
