*84 of 90 rams sold to $7500, av $2200
Stud Park South Merino stud, Willaura, sold 84 rams from 90 offered at its 10th annual on property ram sale to a top of $7500, averaging $2200.
Stud Park South principal, Pat Millear said he was "really pleased with the strength of the sale and that his clients, new and regular, secured the rams of their choice".
"These rams have stood up extremely well in this wetter than usual year. Their wools were white and bright displaying even crimp with long staples," he said.
The top price horn ram was sired by WP 225 and was purchased by new client, Matt Brady, Moyston.
The 108 kilogram, 17 month-old ram, lotted number 11 in the catalogue, measured 19.5 micron, 2.9 micron standard deviation (SD), 14.6 per cent co-efficient variation (CV) with a comfort factor (CF) of 99.5pc. His eye muscle depth (EMD) measured 41 millimetres with his fat depth 8.5mm. The same buyer bought lot 13, another WP son for $3500.
Dale Bruns, operating on behalf of Sorell Springs, York Plains, Tasmania, paid $7000 for lot 12, another son of WP 225 weighing in at 113kg. He tested 19.9 micron, 3.4 micron SD, 16.9pc CV with a CF of 99.4pc. His EMD measured 42.5mm with his fat depth measuring 7mm.
Return client, David Robertson, Austral Park, Coleraine, snapped one of the best wooled rams of the sale in lot 21. The 111kg ram, sired by Nerstane 77, measured 19.5 micron, 3 micron SD, 15.6pc CV and a CF of 99.1pc. His EMD was 42mm and fat was 6mm.
Banool Pastoral, Gatum, secured the first three lots of the sale for $6250, $4500 and $2000 respectively. They added another six polls throughout the sale to average $2555.
Corra Pastoral Co. Wickliffe, another new client, purchased lot five for $5250. The WP 292 poll son measured 19.9 micron, SD 3.1 micron, CV 15.3pc and CF 99.4pc. His EMD was 39mm and a fat depth of 7mm.
Lot seven, another WP 292 son, was bought by Rosevale Ridge Pty Ltd, Maroona, for $4250. JR Burke, Willaura, settled on lot 25 paying $5500 and soon after picked up lot 39 for $3000. Dalveen, Lake Bolac, bought lot 28, a horn ram for $2750.
Volume buyers were also out in force, with Granite View Farming, Lexton, securing four rams to average $3250.
Maka Pty Ltd, Elmhurst, bought seven rams to a top of $3000 (twice), averaging $2000.
Another long term client, RE & JC Marshall, Moyston, bought six rams to a top of $4500 to average $1583.
Drew McRae, Willaura, who's family have been buying SPS rams for more than 10 years, picked up four rams to average $2187.
Other successful buyers were Wells Ag Pty Ltd, Elaine, who took home four rams averaging $1687. Athol Brae Farms, Willaura, took home five rams to a top of $2250 to average $1500 while Eilyer Pastoral Co., took two to average $2750.
Jamecca Plains Pastoral Co., Caramut, were the biggest volume buyer of the day securing 12 rams to average $1100.
The sale was conducted by Elders Ararat with Ross Milne auctioneer.
