2020 Bundara Downs Spring Sale

Bundara Downs stud at Western Flat hit a magical milestone at its 24th annual production sale last Friday clearing more than 300 rams in a more than four hour selling marathon.

In one of the state's largest annual terminal sire sales Steve, Ros, Greg and Selena Funke sold 315 of 367 White Suffolk, Poll Dorset and Suffolks averaging $1375- nearly 50 more rams than sold in 2019.

Stud interest was more subdued than some years, likely due to border restrictions, but volume orders from commercial clients from three states were key to an 86 per cent clearance.

Online bidding also underpinned the success of the sale with more than 240 online bids

Thirty rams sold through AuctionsPlus, including the $8200 sale topper - lot 262.

All of the action from the $800 opening bid for the eye-appealing, April 2019-drop son of Bundara Downs 180 was on the computer screen which ticked over rapidly.

Chris Stoney, Minto Glen Pastoral, Mansfield, Vic, put in the winning bid for the Poll Dorset ram which was one of the highest ranked 2019 drop rams in Australia on the Terminal Carcase Production index at 163.4 , including an eye muscle figure of 4.8.

Bidding was spirited on the White Suffolks which kicked off the sale with 230 of 237 well-grown rams selling for a $1390 average, 30 more finding homes than in 2019.

AJ&PK Schubert, Hynam, outlaid the breed's $2800 top price for lot 53 in the flock ram offering.

It was one of their six buys for a $2300 average.

Nearly twice as many Suffolks sold this year compared to 2019, with nine of 15 rams topping at $3000 twice and averaging $1500.

Malcolm and Tania Smith, Stoneleigh Suffolk stud, Lucindale, secured lot 364, a ram with great hindquarter development sired by Lynburn 170125.

In the dying stages of the sale another June 2019 drop sold on AuctionsPlus for $3000.

The sale's only flat spot was the Poll Dorset clearance rate but it gave those buying tremendous value, including LS Johnson & Son, Naracoorte, who bought 11 top end rams to for a $1436 average.

Nine buyers took home 10 rams or more led by John Lamb Pastoral Co through Elders Deniliquin, NSW, who bought 36 White Suffolks and Poll Dorsets for a $864 average.

Also helping buoy the White Suffolk result was Willalooka Pastoral Company, Willalooka, who bought 34 rams for a $1000 average.

Trevor Mulraney, Edenhope, Vic, and RG&AR Legoe, Lucindale, each bought 14 rams averaging $1086 and $1536 respectively.

The Funkes continued their generous tradition of donating the proceeds of lot 19 in the White Suffolks to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

This year's lot made $1400 bringing their total contribution to nearly $27,500 in the past 17 years.

"The commitment of country people like the Funkes is what keeps the flying doctor flying," RFDS Tatiara sub group treasurer Karen Hunt said.

Greg Funke said they were really happy with the quality of the rams which averaged 106 kilograms, as well as the consistency of type throughout the catalogue.

"The end lots still had a lot of shape about them so we were really chuffed about that," he said.

He was "rapt" with the result, especially the White Suffolks and Suffolk clearances.

"Average doesn't worry me too much, it is more about clearance and getting rams out to people," he said.

"Talking to everyone they said they took home more rams because of the quality and the value being there so I can't complain about anything in that regard."

Elders southern livestock sales manager Laryn Gogel said AuctionsPlus had been a great promotional tool for the stud with 1250 catalogue views.

"You put it (the catalogue) out there and it is across the national and all of a sudden there are people looking at it from places you don't expect to," he said.

Mr Gogel had high praise for the quality and presentation of such a large offering and their stud's continual lift in its LAMBPLAN figures.

Ninety five per cent of the lots had Australian Sheep Breeding Values and indexes in the top 20pc of terminals on LAMBPLAN.

Elders Bordertown conducted the sale with Mr Gogel and Ronnie Dix sharing the rostrum.