Josh Hancock, RL Hancock & Sons, Reedy Creek, Mike Newton, Miller Whan & John, Kingston, and Maurice Oliver, Oliver Nominees, Avenue Range. The Hancocks and Olivers are long-term supporters of Woolumbool and were major buyers at the sale.
COMPARED to last year, Woolumbool sold an extra 28 rams and lifted its average by 29 per cent to $1289 at its annual sale on Wednesday.
Four elite Poll Dorset rams were first up and sold to a top of $2000 to Toland Pastoral's Feltrum Poll Dorset stud at Violet Town, Vic.
Prairie Glen, Lucindale, bought the second-top price ram at $1600 in the Poll Dorset section. They added 11 more flock rams in the breed for a $1382 average.
Eight elite White Suffolks followed and made to $3200 for a phone bid through Elders Ronnie Dix, selling to the Cashmore Park stud, Hamilton, Vic.
The ram, sired by Pollambi 451, carried eight traits in the top 10 per cent for the breed and another three in the top 20pc.
GD&JD Hill, Hills 485 stud, Stawell, Vic, secured two rams for $2000 and $2400 for their breeding program.
Graham Clothier, trading as GW&CL Clothier & Sons, bought two elite rams for a $1700 average. He added more rams later in the sale for a $1300 average.
"The very predictable performance of the sheep, combined with exemplary data quality, keeps us coming back year after year," he said.
The rams will go across White Suffolk and Merino-cross ewes, with progeny going to Woolworths, Coles and heavy lambs to Swifts.
Tony Kealy and son Bernie, Edenhope, Vic, were first-time buyers, taking seven for a $1115 average.
"In a country that is very dry, we were looking for low birthweights and high weaning weights and we found them here," Bernie said.
After 27 sales, Phil and Sharon Clothier, together with sons Aaron and Jason and their wives Sally and Elyse, have built up a loyal buying clientele.
Mark Bruce, Boonoonar, Avenue Range, returned to buy 12 rams to $1200 at a $1108 average.
Josh Hancock, RL Hancock & Sons, Reedy Creek, first attended the Woolumbool sale when he was at school.
His family has supported the sale for more than 20 years and this year was no exception, with Mr Hancock buying 12 rams to $1700 for a $1392 average through agent Mike Newton, Miller Whan & John, Kingston.
Mr Newton also assisted Morris Oliver, Oliver Nominees, Avenue Range, to select eight rams for a $1487 average.
Regular buyers Ivan and Pauline Hocking, II&PE Hocking, Stone Hut, Lucindale, bought nine rams to put over their first-cross ewes.
Courtesy of Richard Cooper, The Stock Journal