BRENDAN Duncan watched the Dorper National sale from home at Wentworth in between mustering sheep for marking, but was still able to see the second top-priced Dorper ram sell at $10,500 and be a co-purchaser.
At Dubbo showground Annabel Mangal and Bronte Mawson of Genelink Dorpers, Nairne, South Australia, did the bidding to secure the heaviest Dorper ram in the catalogue at 115 kilograms, Bulmar Basta, of Kaya parentage and a Type-5 offered by Bulkly and Marisa Malherbe, Bulmar stud, Spring Hill near Orange.
Mr Duncan purchased a half-share in the senior and grand champion ram of Dubbo show in May and went on to be awarded senior champion at the breed’s National show run in conjunction with the Australian Sheep and Wool show at Bendigo, Victoria, in July.
He said he had seen the ram at Bendigo and was most impressed.
“He is a real stud sire and I thought he was pretty unlucky to miss the grand championship there,” he said.
“Annabel and Bronte were pretty keen to have a crack at him, so they went up, but I had too much work on here to go too.
“Top sires don’t come around often enough, and while I don’t need the use the ram immediately I could have access in six months or so time and he’d be handy to have as a stud sire I reckon. If I missed him I know I would be looking for an equal in the future.
“I think he is the best ram I’ve seen this year. I like his muscling, correctness and bodyweight, and from past experience with Bulmar rams, he’ll be able to walk the distances out here.”
A Bulmar ram he bought last year produced 30 lambs after three weeks of joining.
“I then put him out among 200 ewes and I’ve marked 260 lambs.”
He said he had watched the sale screened live on the Dorper website through AuctionsPlus for the first three-quarters of an hour before going out to muster.
“When I came back at lunchtime it was still on so watched some more for a while longer.”
Mr Duncan said he had bought several Bulmar rams which acclimatise well in his Wentworth country.
“For some reason they they come out of the softer country and thrive out here.
“Bulmar rams are survivors, they’re fertile and do the job for me here, that’s what i like about them.”
Mr Duncan is currently running 2500 Dorper and White Dorper ewes on “Glen Esk” and said he normally runs 3000 but had cut numbers back because there had only bee 95 millimetres of rain recorded for the past 12 months.
He also breeds a lot of flock rams that he sells throughout the western areas and into South Australia.
“Many of my old Merino ram buyers are now breeding Dorpers and White Dorpers – they basically followed me into the breed,” he said.
Mr Duncan said he had a twin brother to the Dubbo purchase and brought him home in February and disappeared with no trace.
“I have 20 lambs by him and he put weight on while he was joining ewes, so I expect this new ram to achieve better things,” he said.
“Dorpers fit the niche here and you can’t go wrong with them I believe.