The nearly century-old Rices Creek Poll Merino stud has entered a new exciting chapter in its successful history with the purchase of the Hamilton Run stud flock.
The Vandeleur family staved off interest from other SA and NSW studs to expand their stud which runs at properties at Saddleworth in the Mid North and Tintinara in the South East..
In the expressions of interest conducted by Elders they secured the flock run by Greg Andrews and Nicole Luckraft at Jamestown for the past 15 years.
Hamilton Run's bloodlines date back further than this though to the Bolinda stud run for many decades by Greg's parents Bob and Linda Andrews at Mundulla.
The deal includes 685 stud ewes, which are due to lamb in either autumn or late winter, along with 219 ewe lambs and 276 ram lambs, either April/May or August drops as well as some stud sires, semen and intellectual property.
Rices Creek stud co-principal Mark Vandeleur says the family are grateful for the opportunity to secure a successful, well established stud.
"The Vandeleur family would like to congratulate Greg and Nicole on a fantastic line of stud sheep," he said.
"The Hamilton Run sheep are easy care, long staple white wools that have great nourishment and wool cut on an early maturing, meaty carcase."
Mr Vandeleur said the biggest drawcard to Hamilton Run was that the stud had similar breeding objectives to their own.
Another plus was the entire flock being genomic tested which has given accurate parentage and ASBVs on each animal.
"We plan to continue the process in both studs and DNA test this year's lambs," he said.
"There is also the flock profile data collated over the last five years which will be a great tool to see the genetic gain.
"We believe there will be increased demand for data and ASBVs moving forward in the Merino industry."
Mr Vandeleur says they plan to run the Hamilton Run ewes at both the Saddleworth and Tintinara properties and will keep them separate from their Rices Creek flock at this stage.
"All of the young sheep are non mulesed which is another focus for us moving forward," he said.
Last year at their two on-property auctions Rices Creek offered and sold nearly 250 rams. These numbers are likely to grow further in 2023 with some of Hamilton Run's ram lambs to be incorporated in each of the sales.
Mr Vandeleur is also pleased Mr Andrews is keen to maintain his association with the stud under their ownership and continue servicing the clients he has had for many years.
Mr Andrews said it was a "good result" for them and their former clients.
"We wanted to sell it as a whole so that our clients could keep buying rams and the stud isn't moving too far away so they can," he said.
Elders livestock sales manager southern Laryn Gogel said Poll Merino ewes were always going to create some interest but the offers showed that there was still a "fair heartbeat" in the Merino industry.
He said even though the Hamilton Run stud was being marketed as a whole it was interesting there were multiple enquiries about purchasing certain age groups of ewes too.
"It is good to see it go to the Vandeleur family who have been in the industry for a long time and if you look at the enthusiasm of the young generation coming through they look like having a long future in Merino breeding."
