PROSPECTIVE buyers from across Australia and from China, attended the Gilmore family's inaugural Australian White sale at Oberon, where stud rams sold to a top of $16,000, stud ewes topped at $4500 and flock rams sold to a high of $8000.
Tattykeel catalogued 60 stud ewes with 41 selling at auction to an average of $2646, while 20 stud rams were offered and sold averaging $6375 and a total clearance of the 84 flock rams sold to an average of $2534.
Guest vendors Rob and Toni Gilmore, Ardess Australian Whites, Oberon, offered and sold one stud ram at $4000 while 12 of their 15 flock rams topped at $2250 and averaged $1792.
The stud ewe offering kicked off the sale with 14 buyers securing ewes from NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. The top-priced ewe was bought by Tony Rutter, Oberne Valley Lamb, Tarcutta, who purchased five ewes and one stud ram at the sale.
Mr Rutter is in the process of breeding up to an Australian White flock to produce lamb for the restaurant trade.
Mick O'Hare, "Meroo Downs", Mudgee, also purchased five ewes in the sale averaging $3100.
Mr O'Hare purchased rams back in March this year and was happy with the progeny, and will use the ewes purchased as the foundation for a stud flock.
The ewes will enter an embryo transfer program to fast track numbers and Mr O'Hare said though "the sale today was red hot, we would have liked to secure more ewes today".
Nathan O'Day, Burnie, Tasmania, also purchased in volume, securing six ewes at an average of $2916.
A number of NSW studs were also active throughout the ewe offering including Binda Australian Whites, Douglas Park, purchasing four ewes at $2438, and Meriden Australian Whites, Oberon, also securing four ewes at $2563.
The first ram into the ring attracted a three way bidding contest between Australian and Chinese studs with Ardess Australian Whites, Oberon, and Red Hill Australian Whites, Wongar- bon, joining forces to win the final bid at $16,000.
The ram was reigning Sydney Royal and NSW State Sheep Show champion Australian White Ram by one of Tattykeel's leading stud sires, 126352.
Robert and Leanne Endacott, Red Hill, described the ram as "the complete package, a real stud improver with carcase, an excellent shedder with superior phenotype".
Rob Gilmore, Ardess, added "he was a standout as a two-week-old lamb and has continued to what he is today, he has balance, structure, caracase - he has everything".
Unsuccessful bidder on the top-priced ram, Sheena Chen, Aoqun Australian White Stud, Tianjin, China, secured lot two of the stud rams at $14,000.
"He has everything I want - length, depth and width; he has a good sirey head, he is strong and has superior hair type... he is a bloody good ram," she said.
Miss Chen also purchased a second stud ram at $5500 with both rams going into an ET program in Western Australia with the embryos to be exported to China at a later date.
Dan Lustenberger, Bungarley Australian Whites, Tarcutta, secured two new studs sires at the sale at an average of $5250.
Robert and Toni Gilmore offered and sold one stud sire for $4000 purchased by L. and V. Herbert of Eurongilly.
Stud rams sold to all States of Australia with 17 individual buyers taking rams home.
The flock ram offering again saw strong competition throughout with Craig Wedlock, Sacul Investments Pty Ltd, "Howes Creek Hills", Mansfield, Victoria, securing the top priced flock ram at $8000.
Mr Wedlock managers a 400-ewe flock of commercial Wiltipols and purchased two Australian White rams in 2013 to cross over the ewes.
He said the progeny had been "very early maturing good heavy lambs - we lamb in June/July and find the lambs are very hardy from when they hit the ground".
The ram selected by Mr Wedlock was larger framed "to get meat into our ewes".
Steve Leisk, Doolittle Farm, Molong, purchased three flock rams at the sale for an average of $2083.
Having made the switch to using Australian White rams two years ago over Dorper cross ewes, Mr Leisk will use the rams over Australian White first- and second-cross ewes that have been retained in the flock.
Martin Gilmore of Tattykeel was delighted with the sale results.
"The future is looking very bright for Australian Whites," he said.
The sale was conducted by Landmark and Ray White Temora.
