Alfoxton Dohne creates strong bidding competition
There wasn't much difference between the 23rd annual on-property Alfoxton Dohne ram sale and a tennis match on Monday.
Two bulk buyers at the sale went back and forth against each other between bids to lay a platform within the sale.
Repeat buyers Oakhurst Partnership, North Star and Bucknell Grazing, Inverell, were in stiff competition with each other both buying large quantities from the sale.
The sale resulted in 44 from 56 Dohne rams selling to an equal top of $3250, for an overall average of $1539.
Results were back on last year's result, which saw 55 from 65 rams sell to an average of $1646.
Geoff Bucknell, Bucknell Grazing, purchased just under half the rams sold under the hammer with an impressive draft of 21 rams for an average of $1273.
Mr Bucknell runs more than 7500 Merino ewes and crosses a Dohne ram over one-third of his flock, with the other two-thirds to Poll Dorset rams from Yasloc Poll Dorset, Glen Innes.
"The Dohne ram is very unified within the wool, but it's more the carcase that it offers," said Mr Bucknell.
"The carcase from the Dohne is the better half of a cross-bred carcase and their progeny produces a good lamb, the wool is just a bonus."
Oakhurst Partnership purchased one of the equal top priced rams for $3250 and rounded out their sale draft with 13 rams for a $2000 average.
Oakhurst Partnership has been purchasing from Alfoxton Dohne for more than 15 years and has been crowned the top-priced buyer from the sale many times over the years.
Justin Tombs, Armidale, was the other equally priced ram buyer for $3250.
Alfoxton held its Merino sale just under a week ago, where it averaged $1941 from 51 of 64 rams.
The sale was covered by AWN Squires, Inverell, with Robbie Bloch the auctioneer.
