Prospective buyers in attendance of the 47th annual Tattykeel Poll Dorset Stud Sale, Black Springs, were no match for online interstate bidders which took to AuctionsPlus and accounted for over 57 per cent of the draft.
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The Gilmore family's focus on sheep with natural muscle, width and industry relevant performance was rewarded, with rams and ewes selling to both stud and commercial operations throughout NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
Overall, 14 of 21 stud Poll Dorset rams sold under the hammer to a $36,000 top and averaged $12,643, with four more sold immediately after the sale.
It was no surprise the lead ram in the draft, Tattykeel AI 210113 - the supreme exhibit at the Sydney Royal Show in April and NSW State Sheep Show, Dubbo in May - caught the eye of studs across the country as bidding kicked at $10,000.
All the action was online, with the eventual final top bid of $36,000 made by Craig Graham of Glencorrie Poll Dorsets, Kangaroo Island, SA, who also purchased a number of ewes from the draft.
The top-ram was an April-drop son of Tattykeel 170014.
Roger Wilkinson of Camborn Poll Dorset stud, Pooncarie via Wentworth, once again bid online to secure the second-top priced ram of the sale, Tattykeel ET 210018, for $30,000.
The April-drop ET-bred ram was the reserve champion ram of the Sydney Royal Show and NSW State Sheep Show. He was by Tattykeel 190731 and out of Tattykeel 160882 which makes him a three-quarter sibling to the three full-ET brothers which averaged a hefty $29,667 in last year's sale.
Underbidders of the second-top ram were Sam and Danielle Short and family of Kangaroo Island, SA went on pay $16,000 for Tattykeel ET 210021, an April-drop son of Tattykeel 150206.
The Shorts have been sourcing Poll Dorset rams from Tattykeel for their commercial operation for 10 years, and they use them as sires to breed their own rams for in-flock use.
"All the rams here are very complete rams, and you have to go a long way to try and find others like them," Mr Short said.
"We haven't found anything in 10 years that compare, and the proof is in what we are producing."
Once again operating in the draft was the O'Leary family of Narranmore Poll Dorsets, Elong Elong, who paid $18,000 for Tattykeel AI210071, an April-drop son of Tattykeel 180068 which was part of the supreme group of the NSW State Sheep Show.
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Narranmore has been buying Tattykeel rams for 30 years, with Christine O'Leary saying they were really happy with the ram they purchased, commenting the eye-catching ram had length and everything they were chasing in a ram.
Other studs in attendance which purchased rams included; Kanoona Park, Curban; Cranbook, Canowindra; Kraywood, Cudal; Hillden, Bannister; Arakoon, Cumnock; Abelene Park, Woolomin, Armdale Park, Murrulbale, and Avondale, Gilgandra.
STUD EWES TO $6200
The lead stud ewe of the sale created spirited bidding which caused prices to quickly soar to $6200 for Tattykeel AI 210144.
The April-drop unjoined show ewe was sired by Tattykeel 200060 and it was return client Philip Morton, Garden Park Poll Dorsets, Portland, Vic who made the over 1400 kilometre trip to the sale in the hope to build his ewe numbers.
Chasing "balanced" sheep, Mr Morton said "the only place to buy really good sheep is here, at Tattykeel".
"We are building our numbers, and we have got Tattykeel rams at home and wanted more seedstock breeders to keep the line going," he said.
"Last year we bought three stud ewes online, and in 2019 we bought 'Trademark' for $14,000... he bred the house down. Prior to that we bought Tattykeel 160213, and Trademark really fired up his progeny.
"We are at the stage where we need a few more ewes before another ram."
It was a full clearance of 40 ewes, with 17 scanned-in-lamb stud ewes sold to a top of $3200 to average $2129, and 23 unjoined stud ewes sold to a top of $6200 and average of $1635.
Long-term local client David Artery of Springburn Poll Dorsets, Oberon once again was a volume buyer of ewes putting together a draft of eight to an average price of $1175.
The sale was conducted by QPL Rural, Temora with guest auctioneer Miles Pfitzner, Adelaide, SA.
MORE TO COME.
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