$3000 White Suffolk tops Brimfield sale

With a lack of sheep in the area and dry seasonal conditions buyers were selective, only bidding on the rams they had specifically ticked off in their catalogue prior to the sale which resulted in a lower clearance compared to last year's sale.

This year Brimfield put up an offering of three Poll Dorset stud rams along with 44 flock rams and three stud White Suffolk rams and 43 flock rams.

Of the offering 43 Poll Dorsets were sold and 23 White Suffolks sold for a sale average of $987, down on the previous year's average of $1190.

It was a White Suffolk stud ram that made the sale's top price of $3000 and was paid by AT & JI Watterson & Son, Tenterden.

Terry Wallace, representing AT & JI Watterson & Son, said the ram was a good size and had good muscling.

The winning bid came after careful consideration, with the Wattersons making an opening bid of $2500 and with no other competition the ram was nearly passed in, but after being told they would secure it with another $500 bid, quickly they took the opportunity, agreeing to pay $3000 before the fall of the hammer.

The top-priced ram had growth figures of 0.18 BWT, 11.8 PWT and 1.38 PEMD.

It was the stud Poll Dorset rams that were offered first and all were passed in under the hammer, but lots two and three later sold privately at $3000 each, paid by HR Brooks & Co, Bridgetown and Chowerup Farming Company, Chowerup.

Following was the flock Poll Dorset offering, with the top-priced ram reaching $2000, paid by Watterson Estate, Tenterden, for a ram with test figures of 0.51 BWT, 13.21 PWT and 1.64 PEMD.

Watterson Estate went on to pick up two more rams for a total of three at an average of $1500.

Return buyer Graeme Groves, GA & CA Groves, Tambellup, took full advantage of the buy 10, get one extra offer, purchasing exactly 10 rams at an average of $840.

Mr Groves said he liked the rams because they were nice, big rams that produced good lambs.

The Groves run 2400 ewes which are mated to Poll Dorsets, with the lambs being sold to an abattoir.

Last year's volume buyer RJ & JK Nekel & Son, Denmark, secured eight Poll Dorsets for an average of $881.

WM & CM Robertson, Boyup Brook, built a tidy team of seven at a high of $1600 and an average of $1117.

In the White Suffolk section of the sale WC & CM Robertson, Boyup Brook, purchased nine rams to be the volume buyer of the White Suffolk sale, at a top of $1300 and an average of $911.

Also picking up a team was TG Saggers, Kendenup, purchasing six rams at $700 each.

As bidding slowed towards the end of the sale and after a number of lines were passed in consecutively, co-stud principal Max Whyte made the decision to reduce the original offering of 73 White Suffolks to 46.

After the auction was halted, by special request from bidders three more rams were put through the ring with two selling before the auction was declared over.

The remaining White Suffolk rams were left in their pens for bidders to inspect and purchase privately.

Elders auctioneer Dean Hubbard said that it was positive that most of the Poll Dorsets sold but it was a bit disappointing that not as many White Suffolks sold.

"The rams were presented very well, but with less breeding ewes in the area people didn't need to buy as many rams," Mr Hubbard said.

Co-stud principal Max Whyte said there were a few regular clients missing this year which may have contributed to the reduced clearance.

"We were very happy with the quality of the line-up we presented," Mr Whyte said.