The top-priced vendor and buyer repeated their roles from last year at Sunday’s Australasian Dorset Sale at Bendigo.
It was the third year in a row that Woolomin, NSW, stud Abelene Park has sold the highest-priced lot, this year selling lot one for $13,000.
And for the second year running it was Mike King, Netley Park stud, Mundulla, SA, that bought the top-priced ram of the offering.
Abelene Park 102-17 was 137.5 kilograms, had a muscle depth of 54 millimetres, muscle width of 100mm and scanned 10mm of fat.
The August 2017-drop ram was sired by Yentrac 169-11, a ram which was also the sire of Abelene Park 232-15, which was the top-priced lot at the Bendigo sale in 2015 for $24,000.
Mr King said he liked the ram’s wool, clean face and structural correctness.
“And its growth for age – it is only just cutting its first teeth,” Mr King said.
“Abelene Park rams have been breeding consistently for me and the rams they bring here are consistent in type, and always structurally sound.”
While the sale had 85 registered buyers, it achieved a lower clearance on last year, selling 26 of 40 lots at auction, with more cleared after the fall of the final hammer.
The average price did rise slightly however, up to $4634 from $4449 last year.
Rene stud, Culcairn, NSW, sold the second-highest priced ram, with the first of its winning pair of rams from the previous day’s show making $8000.
Rene 637-17 was an August 2017-drop ram with Lambplan estimated breeding values of 8.8kg for weaning weight and a carcase+ index of 174.8.
Buyer Stuart Richardson, Grassfield stud, Newlyn, said the ram’s general appearance and Dorset type attracted him.
It was the first time Mr Richardson had purchased a Rene ram, but he had purchased at the Dorset Championships sale in Bendigo before, saying it was a good chance to see a range of rams.
Scott Mitchell, Rene stud, said the other ram from the winning pair also sold to a new client, at $5000.
Volume buyers included the Tischler family, Tarraleah, Edenhope, who paid to at top of $5000 for four rams, averaging $3000.
Andrew McFarlane, Donley stud, Yulecart via Branxholme, was the next highest bidder, paying $7500 for lot two, an April 2017-drop ram from the Frost family’s Hillden stud, Bannister, NSW.
Mr McFarlane also purchased a second April drop ram at $2500 from Derby Downs stud, Kangaroo Flat.
Auctioneer Ross Milne said most people walked away reasonably happy with sale, especially after further lots were sold after the auction.
And the upcoming on-property sale season outcome would likely depend on where in the country the stud was located.
“The lamb market we have never seen as strong ever, so I think people who are in the market who want rams will be willing to spend up, it is just a matter of where you are geographically situated, where your clients are situated, their ewe numbers, and that will be main influence factor in terms of clearance,” Mr Milne said.
