Interfacing with AuctionsPlus for the first time this year certainly paid dividends for Moorundie Park at its ninth on-property sale at Gulnare on Friday, with an online bidder from Victoria securing the top price ram at $8000.
In the breakdown, all 180 Poll Merinos on offer sold, for a healthy average of $2667 - $357 up on last year's result.
The sale-topper, Lot 11, caught the eye of successful bidder Dean Bennett, Bennmann Merinos, Everton, Vic, at the Burra Merino Field Day earlier this year.
"(The ram) has beautiful white free-flowing wool, and has such a presence and body shape," Mr Bennett said.
"It was such a modern sheep, with great back end shape and a lovely barrel, we think he will breed us some beautiful ewes."
Mr Bennett has bought from Moorundie Park before, about four years ago, and has been looking at Moorundie Park sheep for nearly a decade.
Weighing 119 kilograms, the 15-month-old sale-topper had an 18.3 micron fleece with 2.7 standard deviation, 14.8 coefficient of variation and 99.9 per cent comfort factor, with a 43.6 millimetre eye muscle depth and 6.4mm fat depth.
Other impressive prices were made early in the sale, with Lot 4 being the second top price ram, knocked down at $6500. It sported figures of 19.5M, 3SD, 15.4CV, 99.8CF 44.2EMD, and 6.2mm fat and weighed 117kg.
It was knocked down to MG&PM Blight, Narrogin, WA, at $6500 with phone bidding carried out by Miles Cockington, Elders.
Lot 2, which had figures including 20.5M, 3.6SD, 17.6CV, 99.3CF, 42.3EMD, and 6.3mm fat and weighed 116kg, was secured by Longmire Farms, Spalding, at $6250.
Moorundie Park stud principal Tom Davidson was extremely pleased with the sale result, which followed the private sale of a $60,000 ram the previous week.
"The catalogue had great depth and that was represented by the good sale result, and everyone left with what they wanted," he said.
"Using AuctionsPlus was really successful this year, it's probably going to be a permanent fixture for us now because it opens us up to the entire country."
Rams were sold to clients throughout SA, as well as to buyers in Vic, NSW, and WA.
Mr Davidson said the stud continued to hone in on what was important to his clients, including early maturity, constitution, and good staple length.
A contingent of loyal buyers buoyed the sale, with Cleve clients DH Turnbull & Co taking home 13 rams to $3600, averaging $2892.
DJ, JM, SD&AJ Michael, Carriewerloo Station, via Port Augusta, bought 10 sires to $3200, averaging $2090, while Peter Evans Investments, Balaklava, bought nine, all at $1200.
TP Tree, Talia, secured 11 rams in his second year of buying from Moorundie Park, peaking at $3000 and averaging $2291.
Eight rams were knocked down to Annerley Props, Geranium, topping at $3400 and averaging $2900, while McCarthy and Partners, Jamestown, secured seven rams to $3000, averaging $2386.
Elders conducted the sale, with Damien Webb and Ben Finch handling the gavel.
"It was a fantastic offering of rams, the rams here are always great quality and met with loyal clientele," Mr Webb said.
"There was solid strength right through to the end of the sale, and good underbidding right until the last lot."
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Claire Harris
Journalist at Stock Journal. Hailing from South East Queensland, Claire moved to SA at the start of 2019. She is passionate about agriculture, cooking, sport, and line dancing, and loves a good long road trip.
Journalist at Stock Journal. Hailing from South East Queensland, Claire moved to SA at the start of 2019. She is passionate about agriculture, cooking, sport, and line dancing, and loves a good long road trip.
