New and return clients had the best of both worlds with spirited bidding on both top-end sires as well as value for money rams at the 30th Hillden Poll Dorset stud on-property sale at Bannister last Friday.
The Frost family offered and sold all 10 stud rams to a top of $3750 and $2450 average, while 135 of the 140 flock rams sold to a top of $2400, averaging $1358. The overall average for 145 rams was $1433.
Purchasers of the top-price stud ram were Megan and Danny Picker, Crown Hill Poll Dorset stud, care of Fairview Company, Bigga.
Mr Picker said he was looking for a stud sire to increase eye muscle area throughout the Crown Hill flock.
The ram was by Valley Vista Park 38-13, reserve senior champion at Australasian Dorset Championships in 2014, and out of a Hillden stud ewe 300-08.
“He is a good square thick boned ram, with strong structure, designed to put more more eye muscle and bone structure into future Crown Hill stock,” Mr Picker said.
Rick Power, Landmark stud stock, Boorowa, who assisted in selecting the ram for the Pickers, said for an August 2015-drop ram he scanned particularly well.
The 141 kilogram ram was the first to be knocked down and had raw data figures of 48 millimetres eye muscle area (EMA) and 103mm width.
One of the two top-price flock rams which sold for $2400 was purchased by new clients, the McGuiness family, “Willowmere”, Boorowa,” who took away nine rams, including three stud, purchased on behalf of the family by Lachlan McGuiness and Evie Duggan.
Needing replacement rams, they will go over 2700 crossbred ewes they run alongside 1300 Merino ewes that are joined to Border Leicesters at the 1416 hectare property.
The other $2400 flock ram was taken home by long-term clients, James and Natasha McCormack, “Red Hill”, Binda, who purchased 11 rams to an average of $1890 including one stud ram for $2500.
Collingwood Pastoral Company, Gunning, put the floor in the market, securing 12 rams all at $800 each.
Return client, Neil Evans, Crookwell, value bought, averaging $970 for his 10 rams, while another return client, Frank Kaveney, Tallawong Pastoral Company, Yass, who was under-bidder on a number of top-end sires, successfully secured eight rams to top at $2250 and averaging $1844.
Hillden stud principal, Brian Frost, said he was happy with the overall average.
“The rams have gone through a hard 12 months, not just winter, just after we shore them we got the real windy, inclement weather which knocked them,” Mr Frost said.
“So considering, I am happy at the way they presented.
“The top-price ram was my pick pick of the draft.”
The sale was conducted by Landmark Goulburn and Duncombe and Co., Crookwell with Rick Power, Boorowa and Jock Duncombe, Crookwell, sharing the rostrum for their respective companies.