Walkindyer to $2700 top in the north

In the sale, which was conducted by Primaries, Westcoast Livestock and Landmark, five local Merino studs offered 130 Poll Merino sires and after some strong bidding 122 were cleared under the hammer at an average of $1189, which was up $243 on last year.

In comparison at last year's sale six breeders offered 133 Poll Merino rams and sold 127 at an average of $946.

The sale was rounded out by an offering of 24 Poll Dorset sires from the Frank family's Kainga stud, Geraldton and all 24 sold for an average of $838.

The $2700 top-priced ram was sold by the Teakle family's Walkindyer stud and it was return buyers Essex Farms, Northampton, which also purchased last year's top price ram, that had the final bid.

The upstanding, long-bodied ram had August wool figures of 21.5 micron, 2.9 SD, 13.4 CV and 99.4 per cent comfort factor.

The Essex Farms operated strongly throughout the entire Walkindyer catalogue and selected another nine rams from the stud to go with the top-priced ram to finish the day with 10 rams at an average of $1850.

They also paid $2400, $2200 and $2000 for their selected sires.

Matching Essex Farms on many of the Walkindyer rams was Weenie Farming Co, Northampton, which purchased four to a top of $2300 and an average of $1975, while Davjeff Nominees, Geraldton, averaged $1625 across a team of eight which topped at $2300.

By the end of the Walkindyer run the Teakle family had achieved a 100pc clearance of its team of 60 rams at an average of $1285.

The Gill family's Sandhurst stud had the next biggest team in the sale with an offering of 30 rams and it cleared 29 of them under the hammer at an average of $1079.

The Sandhurst team topped at $2000 when Teaklehill Holdings, Northampton, bid to this value for a sire which was part of a team of four purchased by the operation.

Return Sandhurst buyers AJS Hulme & Co, Ajana, weren't afraid to bid up in the Sandhurst run and in the end finished with a team of five to a top of $1900 and an average of $1180.

Other stronger supporters of the Sandhurst offering was Lyndhurst Grazing Co, Eneabba, which averaged $1014 across a team of seven and DR & HA Moffat, Geraldton, who secured six at a $967 average.

The Hasleby family, Mulga Springs stud, had an excellent sale and topped the averages when their 12 rams all sold under the hammer for a $1383 average and a top of $2200.

The $2200 top-priced Mulga Springs ram was purchased by return buyer R Williams & Co, Northampton, which also went on to secure another sire at $1700.

Fellow return buyer Howatharra Grazing Co, Geraldton, was very active in the stud's offering, purchasing four sires at a $1450 average while HG Coaker & Co, Morawa, purchased two to a top of $1600.

The Lyndale stud, Binnu, offered 20 rams and sold 15 under the hammer to an average of $960.

The top price in the Lyndale team was $1900, paid by RA & N Johnson, Northampton, while PR & LB Bolt, Corrigin and CJ Squiers & Sons, Quairading, both paid $1700 for sires.

Yandu Pastoral Co, Geraldton, secured the biggest team from the stud, purchasing four at a $675 average.

Rounding out the Merino studs to offer in the sale was the Allaneena stud which offered eight rams and sold six under the hammer to a top of $1000 on three occasions and an average of $933.

All three $1000 Allaneena rams were purchased by DV & ME Simpson, Northampton, who also purchased another ram from the stud at $900.

The offering of Poll Dorset rams from the Kainga stud was also well received by buyers before topping at $1000 twice.

Fellow vendors the Teakle family, Walkindyer Farming Co, Northampton, secured the first of the Kainga rams to hit the $1000 mark and was just one of four purchased by the operation.

The other sire to make $1000 in the offering was purchased by TJ & PK Carson, Binnu, who finished the day with five rams at an average of $900.

Northampton producers LJ & BM Hasleby were the biggest supporters of the run purchasing 14 sires at an average of $793.