MORE than doubling their previous sale top, the Pagan family's fourth annual Cooinda Border Leicester sale at Gilgandra achieved a stud record top price of $6200, twice, and a new record average of $4308.
A record number of buyers attended, while bidding online pushed the prices to new heights for the stud.
The 61 rams offered were sold resulting in a 100 per cent clearance, beating the previous stud top price by $4050 and demolishing the previous record average by $2722.
The first to achieve the $6200 high price was Cooinda 200007, a Cooinda 18/37 son, purchased by Normanhurst stud, Boorowa. He had figures for birth weight (BWT) of 0.31, weaning weight (WWT) of 8.31 and a Border Leicester Cross Index of 130.61.
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Also paying top-dollar was the first-time buyer Campbell Roweth from the newly established Basalt Border Leicester stud, Blayney. Mr Roweth's choice of Cooinda 200111, a July 2020-drop son of New Armatree 18/116 had figures 0.40 for BWT, 6.66 for WWT and a Border Leicester Cross Index of 138.57.
"We are very happy with this ram," he said. "Last spring I bought a few stud ewes from Victoria and needed a new ram. He is a very deep ram, and he has good length and a very good body and a stylish head to match.
"A lot of my ewes are from Johnos (stud in SA) and when I went to Dubbo Show I picked him out there. Luckily, he was in the sale, I knew what I wanted. He has grown out to be a very nice ram."
Return volume buyer, Peter Barber, Narromine, took home a draft of eight for an average of $4175. Purchasing a draft of five was the McKenzie family from Coonamble for an average of $3720.
Stud co-principal Cherie Pagan was completely blown away by the results.
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"It was unexpected, we knew the clearance was possibly going to be good this year, " she said. "The support and number of registered buyers and the prices were unexpected but very much appreciated.
"Both of the two top rams were in our show team, the first top lot was a big strong ram, it will be good to see how he performs, the other top price ram was a very early maturing ram, I know the buyer who got him was very keen on him.
"The stud interests caught me off guard, it is very encouraging to know that people are wanting to buy your genetics."
Selling agents were CPS Thomas Ballhausen and Elders stud stock.
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