1963 was a momentous year here in Australia and overseas

Robert Menzies held the prime ministerial reins in Australia, punters cheered Gatum Gatum home in the Melbourne Cup and a US president was assassinated.

But for the Boughens - and South Australia's sheep industry - it was a year in which a family enterprise came to be and 58 years later Kamora Park Poll Merinos remains fixed to their founding principles to produce high-performing, dual purpose sheep.

The Boughens - Colin, Julie, Wade and Katelyn - run the business on a 3239-hectare property at Sandalwood, near Karoonda in SA's Mallee country. Their stud is accredited with Brucellosis and OJD MN3 status.

According to Colin, it's healthy sheep country despite low rainfall and periods of drought.

"The sheep do well in this country and that's what we like," he said.

The wider industry also likes what the Boughen's do with numerous show victories as testimony. Kamora Park regularly turns the heat on itself to test its standing as a source of dual-purpose sheep.

They have been the most successful exhibitor of the Fibre Meat Class at the Royal Adelaide Show since its inception, twice exhibiting the overall winner and taking the award for the three highest scoring rams on two occasions.

"We have also had success at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show's All Purpose Class, also measuring dual-purpose traits," Mr Boughen said.

KP 304 claimed winning honours of the Fibre Meat Class at the Royal Adelaide Show in 2008 and has been used successfully in several flocks, including the Turretfield dual purpose flock. As a result of this extensive comparison and the MerinoSelect linkages, KP 304 ranked in the top 10 nationally for the three main Merino Select indices.

"We've been breeding poll Merinos since 1963 and right from the beginning we had a huge emphasis on a dual-purpose sheep with well balanced carcase and wool traits, measured and analysed using ASBVs," he said.

Each year Kamora Park invests in high grade genetics to facilitate its objective to breed quality in quantity. Last year they purchased Wallaloo Park 226 for $76,000 in partnership with Seymour Park, WA. "We admired both his wool and carcase traits. He has all of the important qualities that we endeavour to produce through our breeding objectives," he said. They also artificially inseminate more than 1000 ewes each year.

Kamora Park sheep are noted for their long, well-muscled bodies with big, strong heads, long ears and long neck extension.

They place a strong emphasis on white, long-stapled, rich, crimpy wools exuding lustre. "Lustre is important. In wet areas it keeps the moisture out and in dry areas it keeps the dust out," Mr Boughen said.

"Sheep with long noses, long necks, long bodies tend to be bigger-boned with bigger barrels and I like a sheep wide between the back legs and wide between the front legs. These sorts tend to be good doers and they handle all sorts of conditions."

Another imperative is a rich, loose and productive skin and Kamora Park articles are recognised for the essential commercial production ingredients of early growth rates and high fertility.

"We breed for traits like well filled hind quarters, strong constitution, improved muscling, medium heavy cutting fleeces, exceptionally bright, lustrous wools," he said.

Paul Cousins, of Cousins Merino Services, has been classing Kamora Park Poll Merino ewe hoggets for the past five years and assists them in meeting their breeding objectives with a strong focus on structure and wool, striving for continuous improvement.

Sires of Kamora Park's 2021 sale team include Seymour Park, Willandra, Gunallo, Charinga 'Neil' and a number of consistently high-performing Kamora Park sires.

The Boughen's 2020-drop ram lambs were muscle scanned at 10 to 11 months of age with a staple length of 68mm (at 6 months wool growth).