A TOP-QUALITY Poll Merino headed west as a strong Western Australian buying contingent contributed to a full clearance at East Bungaree Poll Merino and Merino stud's on-property sale on Tuesday.
New buyers Steven and Leanne Carter, and sons Gavin and Todd and families, Dalwallinu, WA, secured the top price Poll Merino, with Westcoast Wool & Livestock agent Paul Gatti doing the bidding.
The Carter family runs a cropping and livestock enterprise in the central wheatbelt region and were one of six registered WA buyers, who secured 31 rams in total.
Mr Gatti said the Carters - who also bought another Poll for $4800 - were looking for a well-structured package with good confirmation and wool cut.
Sired by Otto, the 115kg ram carried a 22.6 micron fleece, with 3.4 standard deviation, 13.8 coefficient of variation, 98.6 per cent comfort factor and greasy fleece weight percentage of 115. It also had an eye muscle depth of 43 millimitres with a 7mm C site fat depth.
In the sale breakdown, 260 rams were offered and sold to an average of $1761. The 108 main auction rams averaged $2410, with the 152 rams offered in runs of four during the mini-auction averaging $1301.
The top-priced Merino also fetched $5000, being knocked down to Ivan and son Fred Fiegert, Edillilie, who have bought at East Bungaree for about four decades.
The 115kg Merino had a 22.4 micron fleece, with 3.5SD, 16CV, 98.9pc CF and 117pc GFW.
The Fiegerts have a 750-head breeding ewe flock and Fred said the $5000 ram caught their eye due to its wool characteristics and fact it matched in with the wool present in their flock.
"It also had good definition and good shape of body," he said.
The Fiegerts mainly bid at the top end of the catalogue, securing the first three lots and another later in the main auction, buying four rams in total at an average of $4000.
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Station buyers made up the bulk of the volume buyers, with Moonaree Station, via Port Augusta, taking 28 rams all at $1000.
Wartaka Station, via Port Augusta, bought 25 rams to $1100, averaging $1004.
Arumpo Pastoral, via Mildura, Vic, took home 19 rams to $2200, averaging $1442, while Kanyaka Props, Hawker, bought 16 to $1800, averaging $1144.
Prill Park Pastoral Company, Euston, NSW, bought 15 rams to $2400, averaging $1913, while Top Hut Banoon Pastoral, via Pooncarie, NSW, took 12 to $2600, averaging $2183.
East Bungaree co-principal Tony Brooks said it was an outstanding sale, given pastoral demand had decreased for the second year running due to tough seasonal conditions.
"There wasn't any really high-priced rams but there were consistent prices right through the lineup," he said.
"I was pretty suprised to clear them all actually, being so dry in the North. You feel for those guys, hopefully it'll rain for them soon and business will pick up again."
Mr Brooks said they had a few WA clients last year and the contingent had come back stronger this year.
"The rams are working for them so they came over and invested again, which is pleasing to see," he said.
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Elders stud stock manager Tom Penna praised the East Bungaree lineup's "incredible" ratio of fat to eye muscle.
"There is natural shape built into the sheep, it's not fed in," he said.
Mr Penna also praised the depth of the sale, saying that the consistency through the catalogue continues to get stronger and stronger.
"They're the good old Bungaree sheep with the bone and the structure," he said.
"They still cut the wool but it's beautiful testing wool and people like the consistency that is here.
"I was talking to some new buyers, who are really good sheep people, and they were particularly impressed with the depth."
Elders conducted the sale, with Tony Wetherall, Mr Penna and Damien Webb sharing the auctioneering duties.
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