IN A TOTAL auction clearance all 30 rams sold to a top of $2700 and averaged $1500 at Tom and Kate Kirk's Bundemar Merino stud sale, Condobolin, last Thursday.
Buying strength came from clients whose flocks have been classed by Tom Kirk for up to several decades.
As well, several continue to be successful flocks in three Merino flock ewe competitions, Trundle, Condobolin and the Central and Western.
It was a determined James and Elise Nixon, Leewang, Yarrabandai, who purchased three rams averaging $2567 including the $2700 sale-topper, a growthy ram with rich bold-medium wool and son of Lach River Organiser, the 2016 strong wool champion at Bendigo's Australian Sheep and Wool Show sired by Towalba Calendar, and purchased for a third-share at Dubbo the same year.
Mr Kirk began classing the Leewang flock when he was 18 years of age for James' grandfather, Will Nixon.
Leewang flock has won the Trundle Ted Little flock competition and placed highly during the past several decades with the first award being placed second in 1999.
The flock then gained a hat-trick of wins in 2000-2002, winning again in 2005, then another hat-trick in 2007-2009, another win in 2011 and again this year.
Another flock classed by Mr Kirk which has gained a wonderful success record is the Murtonga flock of Allen, Peter and Vikki Stuckey, Condobolin, who won the coveted Don Brown Condobolin Merino ewe competition in 2018 and have been among the top placegetters for many years including third in 2017.
The Stickeys paid an average $1420 for 10 rams and before this drought ran a fairly large farming enterprise putting in 4050 to 4860 hectares of crop plus breeding from 400 to 500 Shorthorn and Angus-cross cows and joined 2500 ewes.
Des and Sandra with Clint and Kellie Ward, Wardlee flock, Berrilee, Tullamore, also Merino ewe competition stalwarts, bought six rams for an $1766 average.
Chris and Greg Burke, The Kars, Yarrabandai, whose maiden ewes had first won the Trundle Ted Little competition in 1997 and again in 2004 and 2018, while runners-up in 2015 and 2017, paid an average $1042 for four rams.
The brothers run a ewe flock growing an average 20 micron wool and last year introduced a lamb feedlot for their prime lamb enterprise.
Other buyers included long-time Bundemar client going back to when the Vickery family owned the stud, Gerrard Hill, Ruffy, Victoria, bought two rams, as did Mr Kirk's brother, Noel Kirk, Pine Park, Condobolin, while Terry and Kate Worthington, Four Corners, Tullamore, bought three.
The Kirks purchased Bundemar stud in 2008 from Peter and Trish Vickery, Dobikin, Bellata, who bought the stud in 1981 from Bundemar Pastoral Company.
The sale was conducted by JN Straney and Company, and Forbes Livestock Agency, Condobolin, with Jack Rix the auctioneer.
