THE Evans family from Tara Park Merinos at Boorowa defied the tough season increasing their sale average to a solid $2943 and clearing 100 per cent at their 30th annual ram sale today.
Up $108 on the 2017 sale average of $2835, a total of 105 Merino rams went under the hammer and were sold to a top of $17,000.
Landmark stud stock specialist Rick Power, Boorowa, said there was a lot of positive feedback and comments on how good the front row of rams was.
Therefore it was no suprise that the high-selling rams of the sale were the first few rams on offer.
Tara Park tag 14 sired by the Tara Park 4339 ram was the sale topper who was purchased for $17,000 by Victorian repeat buyer Greg Simpson from Winjallok.
Weighing 108 kilograms, the tag 14 ram had a micron of 17.4 with a standard deviation (SD) of 3, fibre diametre coefficient of variation (CV) of 17.2pc and comfort factor (CF) of 99.7pc.
Mr Simpson said the ram had beautiful supple skin and a rich wool.
Tara Park co-principal Guy Evans, Boorowa, said the top-priced ram was a well balanced stud ram with a superb rich wool.
Running around 5600 ewes, Mr Simpson is a return client who continually buys high quality rams from the stud including the top-priced ram at the 2017 Tara Park Ram Sale for $21,000.
The Davis family from Demondrille Merino stud, Harden, secured the second top-priced ram, Tara Park tag 21, for $10,000.
Sired by the Tara Park 1178S, it had a micorn of 18.9 and recorded a SD of 3.2, CV of 16.9pc and CF of 99.7pc with a body weight of 116kg.
Lots were sold to both local and interstate producers with rams destined for NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, and a number of volume buyers helped drive the clearance and average up.
The largest volume buyers were Victorian buyers CW. and AM. Wardlaw from Avoca, who put together a line of 10 rams for their flock and paid a top of $3500, to $2775 average, while Dernveagh Pastoral Company, Boorowa, purchased eight rams to a $2750 top, twice, and $2313 average.
Other major purchasers included Sunnydale Partnership, Forbes, who bought six rams for a $1083 average, MF. and HL. Russell, Vic, secured six rams and averaged $3000 across their selections, and TR. and SM. McGrath, Boorowa, also purchased six rams for a $2500 average.
Perabo Brothers through JJ Dresser and Co. took home five rams averging $2800, BR. and NL. Nixon, Boorowa, bought five for a $2600 average, DJ. and KF. McGrath, Boorowa, outlaid an average of $2200 for five rams, Victoria buyers Lagoon Partnership also purchased five for $4100 average, and Cragdurrock Trust put together a draft of five for a $1850 average.
Guy Evans, owner of Tara Park, said the sale was very successful and he was happy that they sold them all and the average was up on last year’s sale.
Elders and Landmark conducted the sale with Rick Power, Landmark Boorowa, taking bids from the rostrum.
