THE sale of a Mount Ascot Merino ram last week for $8000 has set what is believed to be a record for a Queensland ram sold at auction within the State.
Queensland Stud Merino Sheep Breeders secretary Bill Benjamin could not recall any other home state auction at which the Mount Ascot top price had been exceeded.
Numerous interstate rams have been bought into Queensland at higher prices and some homestate rams sold privately to southern studs for more than $8000, but the Mount Ascot price has set a new auction benchmark for Queensland.
Three generations of the Brumpton family, stud founder Reuben and wife Heather, son Nigel and his wife Rosemary (present studmasters) and their enthusiastic sheep breeding children, Felicity, Charlie and Lachlan, welcomed a large crowd of visitors, including a hard core of volume buyers, to Mount Ascot north of Mitchell on January 20, thus opening the 2010 ram auction selling season.
Powerful demand throughout the sale achieved a near total clearance of penned rams, with 106 sold to average $1296.
Within that total were 64 single penned rams that included the $8000 top price and averaged $1469 for a total clearance.
Buyers of the $8000 ram were Ray and Brenda Kneipp, Glen Farm, Dundee, NSW, who have been buying rams at Mount Ascot auctions for five years to use over a select sheep flock on their 324ha property that also is the home of the famous Glen Farm Kelpie dogs that were offered after the rams at Mount Ascot.
"We have always looked for a good ram here and this time got the best one," Ray said.
"We will use him over some of our top ewes and may also undertake an AI breeding program.
"All of our ewes now are first crosses or higher of Mount Ascot blood."
On figures presented in the catalogue it was no surprise to see this ram set a record.
Bred by a special syndicate sire, he was the heaviest ram of the day at 120kg, born in October 2008 and with test figures of 19.2 micron, 15.6 co-efficient of variation, 99.8pc comfort factor and 56 score curvature.
To score the top ram the Kneipps had to win a bidding duel against the largest volume buyers, Bob and Margaret Little, Waverley, Cunnamulla, who bought 33 rams this year, including two that shared the second top price of $4000 - one of 105kg with 20.7 micron wool and the other 87kg with 21.3 microns.
The Littles, who have an aggregation of 32,400ha 120km south east of Cunnamulla, have been buying Mount Ascot rams since 1995.
"We like these rams for their bright soft wool and good frames," Bob Little said. "They produce the type of wool we like and deliver good lambings."
The Littles shear in March/April and again in July and in 2008 sold wool for up to 900c/kg to return about $1600 a bale.
In addition to the Littles, big volume buying from other graziers was a standout feature of the day.
Lucas Pastoral Co, Cliffdale, Wyandra, took home 19 rams from the more modest priced segment of the market, while Graeme Winks, Tilquin, Bollon, selected 12 rams to a top price of $2600 and single penned rams to $1600.
The Crook-King family, Glenorie, Morven, also bought in volume to take home 12 rams, while Glenrowan Grazing Co, Morven, took six, as did the Jukes family, Armadilla, Morven.
Muttaburra buyers, Mount Cornish Grazing Co, and the Schutt family, Waldor, Dirranbandi, both selected five rams.
Stephen Tinkler and his mother Susan, Cardiff, Bollon, bought four Merino rams at auction and later selected 20 Poll Merino flock rams from the Brumpton children's Jolly Jumbuck poll stud.
Kelpie dogs also had their share of the limelight when sold under the Helmsman system of rising nominated bids marked on a board until the highest call gets the animal.
Under this system Graeme Winks, Tilquin, Bollon, bought two started Kelpies, the top priced Prue at $2500 and the $1175 Larry. Kent Morris, Kandimulla, Mitchell, paid $1600 for Sophie and Jess Dodson, Myall, Roma, paid $1000 for Charlie.
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