THE second annual Amelie Poll Dorset Ram Sale topped at $1200 on property near Uralla on Friday.
Of the 24 rams offered by the Sharpe family, 14 sold to average $754.
Stud principal Brendan Sharpe was pleased with the local turn out and support and in recognition of the tough seasonal conditions offered buyers 25 per cent off their second ram purchase.
"We know it's tough and we wanted to offer some financial assistance to our clients," Mr Sharpe said.
Linda Waters and Chris Dunne, The Range, Enmore, secured the $1200 ram after a 45-minute battle via Helsman auction.
The 2017-drop sire weighed 102 kilograms and measured 38.5 centimetres in the scrotum, 26 millmetres for eye muscle depth and two millimetres for fat.
It was the ram's length and squareness that drew Ms Waters and Mr Dunne to purchase the sire for their prime lamb operation.
"He will go over first cross ewes of which we join around 400 ewes annually," Mr Dunne said.
"We sell the lambs either through the local saleyards or direct to Thomas Food International at Tamworth."
Cameron Wood, Dog Trap, Uralla, secured his 11th Amelie Poll Dorest ram from the sale, paying $900 for a 104 kilogram 2017-drop ram.
"They are beautiful meat sheep," he said.
"Their 100-day growth is exceptional. We sell lambs as stores and they get there quicker."
The Wood family join around 700 second cross ewes and 2000 first cross ewes annually with the lambs usually secured direct by Victorian meat buyers each year.
"We were selecting on size, not too big in the shoulder for lambing ease, good length and not overly big in the back-end as some lambs can get caught on the hip with our moderate New England females," Mr Wood said.
According to stud principal Brendan Sharpe, the Amelie Poll Dorset philosophy was to achieve moderate size rams that were moderate to fast maturing types and not overfed.
"We use pure Poll Dorset genetics and use Lambplan as a selection tool," he said.
"The philosophy of having moderate sheep is that they will perform in dry tough conditions."
The sale was conducted by Schute Bell Badgery Lumby with Graham Andrews controlling the board.
