SEVERAL volume orders ensured a full clearance and underpinned a very strong on-property sale result for North Ashrose at Gulnare on Wednesday.
Station and pastoral clients from NSW, QLD and SA competed heavily on the 160 Merino and Poll Merino rams , which sold to an overall average of $2207 and top of $8000.
The 20 Merinos sold averaged $2460, while the 140 Polls averaged $2171.
A run of 30 Merino ewes also sold for $320 a head, while 140 Polled ewes averaged $296.
Despite missing several buyers due to dry conditions in the north-east pastoral areas, and some NSW clients unable to make it across due to COVID-19, North Ashrose principal Tom Ashby said they were fortunate that some regular QLD clients were having a good season and came through with large orders.
Filling out the gallery were a wide representation of SA buyers from the mid-north, Barossa, Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Fleurieu, Flinders and northern areas.
Mr Ashby said the stud were happy with how the rams presented and was pleased with their progress in the pursuit of a dual-purpose animal.
"The type of sheep we're trying to breed here is flowing through to our clients - long bodies, good staple length and we're continuing to work on depth of body and eye muscle," he said.
"That's starting to flow through the whole flock here and we're very much looking for that dual-purpose Merino."
The 127-kilogram lot 1 ram was a fine example and was knocked down to Chris Heinjus, CP&SJ Heinjus, Brinkworth, for a sale high of $8000.
The March-shorn Poll Merino carried a 20.2 micron fleece, with a standard deviation of 3.5, 17.2 coefficient of variation, 99 per cent comfort factor and 143pc greasy fleece weight.
It also had figures of 47.4 for eye muscle depth and 5.9 fat.
The Heinjus family run a 4000-head Merino ewe flock and Mr Heinjus said their sole purchase "ticked all the boxes".
"It's a big, heavy-cutting ram with a beautiful fleece on it," he said.
The top-priced horned Merino was bought for $5400 by Blacker Partners, Cummins.
The March-shorn ram weighed in at 124kg, with a 7.3 fat measurement and 44.8 EMD. It had wool figures of 17.9 for micron, 3.4 SD, 19.1 CV, 99.1pc CF and 120pc GFW.
Leading the way in the volume buying stakes was Thurlow Downs Station, Wanaaring, NSW, securing 23 rams all for $1400.
Buying 21 rams to $2800, averaging $1895 was Springleigh Merinos, JH&RG Banks, Blackall, QLD, while ever-present North Ashrose buyers WH Lines & Co, Wilmington, secured 20 rams to $4200, averaging $2710.
The Lines family have a self replacing Merino flock with 2500 breeding ewes and have been buying at North Ashrose for close to fifty years.
SR&D Bowden, Penlan Downs, Muttaburra, QLD, finished with 19 rams to $2400 twice, averaging $1863, while Minburra Station, via Orroroo, bought 17 to $1900, averaging $1571.
Paroo Pastoral Company, Western NSW, took nine rams to $3600, averaging $2556, and Hale Partners, Hallett, buying eight to $3800, averaging $2150.
Runs of 30 June/July 2019-drop stud Poll Merino Ewes, av 64kg, sold to $320 twice, with one bought by HG Thompson & Sons, Minlaton, and the other by Hermit Hill, Kerang.
The Minlaton buyer also secured 25, 3.5-year-old Poll Merino stud ewes at $285, while Hermit Hill took a run of 30 June/July 2019-drop Merino stud ewes also at $320.
Nutrien auctioneer Gordon Wood said the overall sale was another exceptional result for North Ashrose and the stud's strong pastoral and large breeder client base continued to be evident.
"A lot of their buyers are looking for a large number of rams and they're strongly supported in those pastoral areas," he said.
"It was a good even offering of rams with some high prices reached at the top end and the overall sale supported well by return buyers."
Elders auctioneer Scott Fleetwood said the sale was outstanding and the rams had come up heavier than in previous years, with wool quality also rising.
Mr Fleetwood agreed that a good season and having feed on hand had given North Ashrose's QLD clients plenty of confidence to buy and compete against SA clients from right across the state.
Start the day with all the big news in agriculture. Sign up here to receive our daily Stock Journal newsletter.
