Lawral Park smashes top price, average

Of 90 rams offered at the Ungarra sale, 88 sold to a top of $8000 and an average $1718.

The top price ram was a 133 kilogram, April 2021-drop, penned in Lot 7, sired by Big Al and carried figures of 60.5kg weaning weight, a 250 day weight of 97.5kg, a 8.6 millimetres fat, 46.5mm eye muscle depth, 21.6 micron and a 37 staple.

It was bought by AJ&PA McBride's Braemar Station, Burra.

Lawral Park stud principal Campbell Lawrie said the result was fantastic.

"It was our highest price ever and our highest average ever," he said.

"This was our first sale ever where we have had no new buyers, it was all repeat buyers which used our sheep and work well.

"A lot of the sold rams was from bidding through AuctionsPlus, which was fantastic."

He said the top price ram was the standout.

"McBrides are a long time supporters who buy very good rams and then breed their own rams at Braemar," he said.

"(Braemar manager Josh Sheridan) picked up another couple with different genetics, which is a really good key to operating a stud."

Mr Lawrie said Lawral Park had some new genetics coming through, which would be offered in next year's sale.

"We are gearing up for our 20^th year, next year," he said.

"We are continually building on what we are doing and promoting the breed, just getting it out there.

"It was a good spread of clients and Box Plains Trust have made a huge commitment to the SAMM breed, it's great and exciting.

"They are investing hard."

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Top price ram buyer Mr Sheridan said he was back for his 14th year, chasing the Lawral Park genetics to put with the Braemar SAMM stud ewe flock.

"The rams have quality genetics," he said.

"Campbell does all the hard work and I just come and get them."

He said they were chasing a dual purpose sheep with good wool length.

"The wool had a nice style to it," he said.

"It also had a nice body shape.

"Dual purpose traits will allow it to pay for itself in todays world."

Mr Sheridan also bought Lot 85 and said it had "nice bright white wool and was a later drop".

"We will take it home and see how it grows out," he said.

The sales volume buyers included Box Plains Trust, which bought 20 rams to a top of $5200 and a $2330 average, and Windalle Proprietors, Menindee, bought 10 to $1400 and a $1040 average.

Ben and Rae Hill, Box Plains, Thallon, Qld, attended the Lawral Park sale for the first time in person this year, after buying rams from the stud through AuctionsPlus in 2021.

Facing livestock loss on their property after the drought, the pair said they turned to restocking with SAMM's four years ago due to their hardy nature.

"We ran cattle originally but due to the drought they really struggled," Mr Hill said.

"That's when we decided to look into SAMMs because they can handle the country and the dry weather.

"We still run cattle as well, but we've enjoyed the move into sheep.

"We really like what Lawral Park are doing with their rams on both the meat and wool side so they've been a good fit for us so far and we look forward to settling them in before joining the over our commercial ewes in March."

Last years top price buyers Sandra and James Shephard, Hurtlegrove Pastoral Co, Orroroo, returned to the sale this year taking home four to a top of $3400 and an average $2200.

The sale was conducted by Elders with stud stock agent Tony Wetherall as auctioneer.

Mr Wetherall said it had been a solid sale for the stud.

He said the price reflected the quality right throughout the line-up and was "extremely good".

"The commercial buyers here both bidding local and online they bid for their selected rams right to the very end of the sale," he said.

He said attendees would have been disappointed if they did not buy a ram.

"If people are going to go to a sale, they go to buy generally," Mr Wetherall said.

"If you were coming here today, you'd have to buy because the quality is very good.

"There is a fair bit of emphasis on the wool types now and some of those higher bidders were after the better wool types and that was the reason the sales fluctuated so much.

"I enjoy coming to Lawral Park and they have been in the SAMM game a long time."

He said the family were great ambassadors for the breed.

"The sheep have gone all over the country for a long time," he said.

"The number of SAMM studs around Australia has diminished and those that are left and do the job well will be sought after right around the country."