*71 of 72 sold to $6000, av $2394
A GOOD-SIZED crowd enjoyed the spring weather at Belbourie Merino stud’s 48th annual ram sale, with bidding for the 72 selected horned and polled rams consistent and robust.
Solid buying from the 25 registered buyers for the predominantly April-shorn, paddock-run rams offered for sale resulted in an excellent clearance rate with 71 of the 72 sold.
All rams on offer were May 2018-drop, with the exception of lots 53 to 57, being August-drop rams.
The solid average of $2394 provided an excellent result for vendors Paul and Jacky Hendy.
The top-priced ram sold early in the auction, and the Lot 4 ram achieved a high of $6000.
The ram was well bought by local purchasers, Stuart, Leanne and Hayley Reading, Callawadda, located in the same region as the Belbourie stud.
The LB1048 ram was sired by Banavie Syn, and its fleece measured 19.4 micron, with a coefficient of variation of 15.2.
Speaking after the auction, Hayley Reading said the Lot 4 Merino ram “had all the characteristics we are looking for to put over our ewes”.
The Readings currently run 3000 ewes on their Callawadda property, and the ram attracted their bid as he ‘’stood proud, had a nice clean face and nice fleece”.
The Readings also topped the volume buying group for the day with a total of 13 rams purchased.
Ms Reading said the stud was consistent with the rams they offered for sale, and “you always know that what you buy is what you get”.
Other repeat buyers bought well on the day and included locals, Jack and Kaye Kirby, Elmhurst, who purchased nine rams.
Ms Kirby said they knew the Hendy family well, and “you knew what you were buying”, and “we liked the big wool cutting sheep”.
Stud principal Paul Hendy was “extremely happy with results”, and said he believed attending sheep show displays, along with extra marketing of the stud helped lift the sale result.
Mr Hendy said the stud’s focus in recent years was developing a “better structured sheep with good quality wool”, and that helped attract buyers who traveled as far as Bordertown, SA, to attend the sale.
He said the ongoing high prices for wool and sheep was also driving interest in the stud.
He was particularly pleased the overall average per ram sold was up by approximately $500 on the previous year’s sale.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Landmark St Arnaud.
