WELCOME rain made for increased buyer competition at the Kurrajong Park Merino ram sale at Delungra on Tuesday.
Twenty-one of the 41 rams offered sold to a top of $2600, $1275 up on last year and averaged $1020, $232 up from 2014.
Stud principals, brothers Rodney and Graham Kent, were pleased with the success of their second on-property sale despite the lower clearance rates, putting it down to the poor season.
"Some of this region hadn't seen rain until December" explained Rodney Kent.
Returning to claim the top priced ram for the second year were next door neighbours John and David Taylor, "Ford End", Delungra.
The brothers, who secured three rams on the day to average $1367, particularly liked lot four, the Rosville Park 98 sired top priced ram, which had a fibre diameter of 18.6-micron and a comfort factor of 99.7 per cent.
At 24 months of age, the Taylor's were impressed with the 108 kilogram ram.
"He has a good deep body with ideal style and wool characteristics" said John Taylor, who has been buying from Kurrajong Park for more than 10 years.
Gurley breeder Margaret Turner, "Toreador", secured the second highest priced ram for $1800.
Also by Roseville Park 98, the 109 kilogram ram measured a fibre diameter of 19.1-micron and a comfort factor of 100pc.
Mrs Turner who has been purchasing from Kurrajong Park for "a good few years" was impressed by the ram's length and nice stylish wool.
"He's a well built ram all round" said Mrs Turner who joins 1000 Merino ewes each year.
Mrs Turner also purchased a second Roseville Park 98 son on the day for $1000.
Lachlan McAuley, who runs "Lamascotte", Yetman, with his wife Charlotte and father Owen, returned to buy four rams with a top of $1200 and average of $950.
"Their free-growing wool and good size are a great asset, they have nice stylish wool and they are good bale fillers" said Mr McAuley who joins 1300 pure Merinos and crosses 300 Merino ewes each year.
