Overpark's last sale hits $1300 top

The sixth annual Overpark on-farm sale on Wednesday was his last and it was also one of his best.

With an extra two rams available this year, the clearance rate was a vast improvement on last year and Primaries auctioneer Jay Macdonald did not have to work hard for opening bids.

Only two rams were passed in and one of those sold immediately after the auction.

The sale average of $729 was a $27 improvement on last year's average, while the top price was $50 more than last year.

Mr Hathway, 70, is retiring from sheep breeding and his last ram sale was a poignant day.

He said he was very pleased with the sale result but sad that it marked the end of his involvement in breeding.

"It all started about 11 years ago when I actually bought four rams down at Katanning," Mr Hathaway said.

His son Keith established the stud and the family, including daughter-in-law Kylie, became heavily involved in the WA branch of the Prime SAMM Society.

"We imported semen from South Africa and Keith and Kylie were involved in embryo transplants," Mr Hathway said.

Only last month clients, the Mills family, Mingenew, won this year's WAMMCO State Prime Lamb Carcase Competition using Overpark bloodlines.

They were back buying more rams last week.

Apart from the stud, Mr Hathway has maintained a commercial flock of 2000 head but that will be downsized soon to about 70, he said.

Over the past 18 months the Hathways have sold business interests in the Cadoux Traders store and Hathway Agricultural Supplies and hardware store in Kalannie and are considering an offer on the Kalannie general store which they bought and revived five years ago.

Mr Hathway said he intended to retain the Overpark property which his family settled in 1918 and most of which has been leased for several years to neighbour Rowan McCreedy, RD & DA McCreedy, for part of his wheat crop.

Like many at last week's sale, Mr McCreedy has been a regular repeat Overpark Prime SAMM buyer and claimed the top ram at $1300 among the four he purchased.

He paid $1050 for the first two rams on offer and also for lot 28.

The top-priced ram was lot 29 with specifications showing a seven-kilogram weight gain between August 24 and September 19 to 103kg, eye muscle depth (EMD) of 49 millimetres, fat score 5mm and with 23 micron wool with a comfort factor of 98.5 per cent.

"We've been buying rams off Stan and his son since they started up," Mr McCreedy said.

"We run a Merino flock of about 1000 ewes and run the Prime SAMMs over the cast-for-age ewes and cull hoggets - that keeps it nice and simple."

Last year, when he bought the second top-priced ram, Mr McCreedy joked he had had a good look at the Overpark rams as he "chased them out of my wheat crop".

"I don't think I had to do that this year, there's been plenty of feed around for them," he said.

T Reilly and Sons, Wyalkatchem, paid the second top-price of $1200 for the ram in lot 18, which was among six bought.

It had gained 7kg to 104kg, had an EMD of 45mm, fat score 4mm, 21-micron wool with a 99.1pc CF.

Volume buyer was another Overpark regular, the Reynolds family, Mary Springs, Ajana.

Primaries Kalannie and Moora representative Rhys Fleay bought 10 rams at the bottom end of the price range on their behalf.

PF and KE Mills, Mingenew, bought nine rams to a top of $1050 and Sharman Farm, Cadoux, also bought nine to a top of $950.

Volume buyer last year Pobke Farm Trust, Bodallin, returned and snapped up six more rams to a top of $1000.

Immediately after the Overpark sale, Mr Macdonald put 40 Poll Dorset rams under the hammer for the nearby Eringa Park stud run by local veterinarian Kirsten Tunstill and husband Andrew.

It was the Tunstills' second ram sale since buying Eringa Park stud from Dennis and Val Moulton, Goodlands, three years ago and they were very encouraged by the results.

They offered eight more rams this year and sold the lot and their average price jumped $159 and their top price was $350 better.

A former neighbour from when Andrew Tunstill leased a property at Beacon, Tom Grant, TM Grant, Beacon, paid top price of $1300 for one of two rams he bought on the day.

Penned in lot two, the ram weighed 126kg and scanned 47mm EMD and 6mm fat.

"We used to buy from this stud when it was at Dalwallinu, and I bought rams privately from Andrew when he was my neighbour," Mr Grant said.

"I breed my own Dorsets.

"I've had them for 20 years, if I hadn't been in sheep I'd have been broke by now farming out where we are."

Mr Grant said the rams would add to his terminal sires which are mated to 2000 ewes.

The second top price ram weighing 115kg with 47 EMD and 5mm fat, went to CJ Longmuir, Koorda, for $1050 and it was one of two purchased by the operation.

Volume buyer with eight rams to a top of $1000 was Pedo Pty Ltd, Toodyay, bidding through Mr Fleay.

Warra Farms, Koorda, bought seven rams up to $900 and last year's top-price ram buyer, David Hudson, D & C Hudson, Kalannie, was back for five more to a top of $1000.

Mr Tunstill said it was a "very good sale" for him and his wife.

"We sold more rams than last year and to new clients and for good values. It's been a fantastic year for sheep and they presented really well," he said.

After the sales Mr Macdonald said both Overpark and Eringa Park offered "really good paddock-run rams that are ready to go to work" and they "sold themselves".

"There was a good spread of buyers for both vendors and the Tunstills have got some repeat buyers back for their second sale which is good," he said.