RECORDS tumbled at White River stud's 42nd annual ram sale at Poochera with the stud hitting a new $23,000 on-property auction high and notching up the highest average for the SA selling season so far.
At last Thursday's sale the Daniell family achieved a total clearance of 174 rams for an outstanding $3166 average, up almost $700 on last year's result.
In the breakdown, 43 Merinos averaged $3804 and 131 Poll Merino rams averaged $2964.
The sale got off to a flying start with the first 10 lots averaging $11,200, setting the scene for the day
New client, Wise Family Trust, Wililoo stud, Katanning, WA, bought the opening lot for $7500 and continued their buying through AuctionsPlus with lot for $10,000.
But the best was yet to come with lot 10, WR 1405.
This eclipsed White River's previous highest on-property result of $20,000 back in 2011.
Wes Daniell said the embryo transfer bred, May 2020 drop son of Promotor 214-14 which was out of a ewe from the East Mundulla Jonty family had been a stand out since it was a ram lamb.
"It has a great combination of excellent wool tests and fleece with crimp quality, staple length on a really well conformed body and excellent head and horns," he said.
The 20.4 micron ram carried a fleece with a standard deviation of 2.7, coefficient of variation of 13.0 and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
About a month prior to the sale the ram weighed 129kg and had an eye muscle depth of 47.3mm with 6.4mm fat.
Joe Murdoch, North Cowie stud, Warooka who outlasted strong bidding described his new sire as a modern Merino.
He's got a lot of wool on him and we feel he can do a lot for North Cowie.
- Joe Murdoch, North Cowie stud, Warooka
He said they had been searching for a good quality horned sire for a few years when they spotted him at the Eyre Peninsula Pre Sale Expo at Wudinna last month.
"He's got a lot of wool on him and we feel he can do a lot for North Cowie," he said.
"He will fit the bill with what we want to do and for our clients."
Another horned Promotor son in lot 12, a 20.2M ram made $18,000 to long-time White River clients Wonga Pastoral, Morgan.
The highest priced Poll Merino, which also made $18,000, was lot 4, WR 0025. It sold to the Hams family, Broadoak stud, Whyte Yarcowie.
"He had excellent conformation and excellent purity and long stapled, well nourished crimpy medium wool," Mr Daniell said.
The late April 2020 drop which was also ET bred was sired by the $100,000 ram, Glenlea Park 173 'Smithy' and out of a grandaughter of JC&S 102 (Premier).
Earlier in the sale, Lot 2, sold to repeat buyers NJ&EE MacCartney, Coreen, NSW, for $12,500 via AuctionsPlus.
Forty nine bidders from the Eyre Peninsula, Mid North and interstate operated both onsite and through AuctionsPlus.
Volume buyers were Sheringa based Lairg Station, purchasing 33 rams for a $1100 average and West Wimmera Beef, Nhill, Vic, who took home 26 rams for a $3200 average.
Mr Daniell said it was the best line up they had ever offered - from the first ram to the last.
"Our top rams are as good as we have ever had and that showed with the depth of the prices they made," he said.
"It gives us great confidence going forward, we are already looking to next year and beyond to look at how we can keep the quality up where it was."
Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood said it was a tremendous result for the Daniell family to have strong purchases from six studs and excellent support from their commercial clients.
"White River has enjoyed full clearances for as long as I can remember which for the most part is on the reputation of the sheep- they are big, robust, fast growing wool producers," he said.
"They (the rams) go into such a big area from high rainfall areas near Port Lincoln and into western Vic to the arid zones."
Elders stud stock auctioneer Tony Wetherall said it was a good display of dual purpose Poll Merinos and Merinos.
Elders and Nutrien Ag conducted the sale.
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