Loyal repeat buyers impressed by Seriston White Suffolks' ram sale offering
Repeat local buyers ensured Seriston's 27th annual White Suffolk and Suffolk ram sale at Avenue Range was one of its best with a big jump in averages.
But it was a WA stud, Venturon Livestock, Boyup Brook, which secured the $5200 sale topper offered by stud principal Anthony Hurst.
Harris Thompson put in the winning bid for Lot 2 through AuctionsPlus.
Mr Thompson has been followed the late June 2025-drop White Suffolk closely since it was a ram lamb, impressed by the combination of exceptional structure and high performance data.
The sale topper had a Terminal Carcase Production index of 161 and post weaning weight of 19.6, both ranking in the top five per cent of terminal sires on Lambplan, as well as being in the top 10pc for the Lamb Eating Quality index.
"It has the good structure and is one of those big, beautiful showy type rams that we like to buy, but at the same time has Lambplan data in the top 5 percent and 10 per cent," he said.
"We have always had a lot of time for Anthony's sheep. We bought the top priced ram in 2021 and it has bred really well for us."
The ram was among a number of high figured lots sired by Summit Park 230087.
"He is a a really good structured ram and he is throwing it through his progeny and he is also lifting the figures," Mr Hurst said.
With a much better season than the previous two years, many buyers extended their budgets but there were still plenty of great value rams at $1200 to $1400.
Overall 111 impressive White Suffolk rams averaged $1920 - up nearly $500 on 2025 when 112 rams sold of 127 offered for a $1443 average.
The eight passed in lots this year were largely the youngest August-drops.
Seriston's White Suffolk rams sold as far afield as the Mallee, western Vic and Bathurst in NSW but the volume buyers were largely South East locals.
T&K Legoe, Lochaber secured 13 rams for a $2138 average , paying to $2800, while Elders Lucindale branch manager Ronnie Dix secured the same number for AJ&PA McBride's Brooklyn Station for a $1200 average.
McFarlane Pastoral bought 11 rams for a $1891 average.
Ten of 15 Suffolks in Seriston's final draft of black-faced rams sold and averaged $1920.
This was also a big lift in average on 2025 when 13 of 21 rams averaged $1015.
Long-time Seriston clients, the Hann family, Nampara Pastoral Company, Lucindale, secured all four Suffolk rams to make $2400.
Mr Hurst was very happy with the result.
"Our local buyers have been good for 27 years and they keep coming back which shows the rams are performing and we also had some new interest," he said.
He said it was pleasing to have growing stud interest too with the ASBVs on the rams lifting each year while not compromising on breeding structurally correct sheep with good breed type.
After last year's sale, Mr Hurst sold his Suffolk ewes and is focusing entirely on breeding White Suffolks, with plans to significantly increase the number of rams on offer next year.
"We have the right type and quality and the White Suffolk job is solid, the breed is well-placed in the industry for meat eating quality," he said.
Mr Hurst said it was exciting that commercial producers using White Suffolk sires now had the opportunity to receive feedback on the eating quality of their lambs.
He encouraged anyone selling lambs over the hooks at JBS, TFI or Gundagi Meats in coming months to register with the Australian White Suffolk Association and contribute to an industry-first dataset.
TDC Livestock & Property director Rob Handbury said it was a fantastic line up of White Suffoilk rams with outstanding size, structure and shape and "stacked with good figures".
"A lot of the very good rams were over $2000 so it is a good result but in saying that there were also rams at $1200 so it was affordable to everyone," he said.
Elders and TDC conducted the sale with Ronnie Dix, Nathan McCarthy and Matt Treglown the auctioneers.
