Koonawarra repeat buyer nabs $2200 sire

Regular client Andrew Blenkiron, Springton, paid the top price for the third consecutive year, this time bidding to $2200.

During the sale, 35 of 84 White Suffolk rams sold for an average $943, while 16 of the full drop of 23 Border Leicester rams sold to $1550, averaging $943.

The sale also offered 10 White Suffolk ewes, which all sold to $400, averaging $280.

The sale reached its peak at lot 2, for a Warburn 48 son - an AI sire that featured prominently through the catalogue.

The May 2018-drop ram had a Carcase Plus index of 218.85 and a Terminal Carcase Production index of 152.14, along with an 10.8 weaning weight, 16.9 post-weaning wt, -0.3 PW fat and 2.9 PW eye muscle depth.

The same buyer also picked up lot 5 - a 141 Terminal Carcase Plus index and 205.83 Carcase Plus ram - at $1300.

Mr Blenkiron said he generally bought at the front-end of the catalogue to join with his first-cross ewes.

He said lot 2 was "sound all the way through".

Koonawarra principal Mark Grossman said the ram was a "quality" son with "excellent conformation", alongside good muscling and figures.

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Another repeat buyer paid the $1550 top price for the Border Leicester offering.

Graham Ahrens, Eagle Park Pastoral, Lyndoch, bought the July 2018-drop ram with 9.5PWWT, 0.2Pfat, 0.7PEMD and a Border Dollar index of 133.78, sired by Johnnos 83.

The same buyer also paid the second highest price of $1500 for a Border Leicester - a ram from the same sire with 12.6PWWT, -0.3Pfat, 0.3PEMD and a Border Dollar index of 138.07.

Mr Ahrens said he was buying rams for his South East property at Bangham, where he breeds first-cross ewes for the Naracoorte sale.

He said these rams appealed with their finer wool.

All up, he bought five rams, averaging $990.

In the ewe offering, Anna Villa, Weetulta, paid the $400 top price for a ewe with a 212.14 Carcase Plus index and a 149.28 Terminal Carcase Production index, while Boothby Downs Partners, Tintinara, bought the other nine lots to $325, averaging $267.

Roocke Partners, Saddleworth, bought four White Suffolk rams to $1200, averaging $975, while DR&MH Tiller, Mallala, also bought four to $800, averaging $775.

Mr Grossman said he was happy with the lineup of rams produced, although the absence of some volume buyers, due to the season, had impacted the clearance, meaning there were still some outstanding rams on offer.

The sale was conducted by Elders and Landmark with Elders' stud stock's Tom Penna and Landmark Riverton's Glenn Keast sharing the auctioneering duties.