Pooncarie-based Dust N Rain sold to strong local demand at its fourth on-property sale on Monday, with the stud recording a full clearance across its offering of Dorper and White Dorper rams.
The top price of $4200 was achieved three times across the lineup of 109 rams, with the sale recording a solid average of $3170.
The first of the top-priced rams, Dust N Rain Thunderbolt, was purchased by online bidder Wade Griffiths, Spring Hill Station, Pan Ban.
The September 2021-drop Dorper was by Bullseye 181699 and out of Dust N Rain-190208.
Thunderbolt, a type four with an eye muscle area of 48.28 square centimetres and an eye muscle depth of 57 millimetres, weighed 121.5 kilograms with a fat scan of 6mm.
Spring Hill Station purchased a total of four rams to an average of $3700.
Laurie Healy, Court Nareen Station, Pooncarie, purchased another $4200 Dorper ram in Dust N Rain 22-0262, another Bullseye 181699 son.
The 106kg, type four Dorper had an EMD of 49mm, an EMA of 35.47 sq cm and 5mm fat.
Mr Healy was a first-time buyer at the sale and took home a draft of seven to average $3457.
His operation produced fat lambs on 35,000 hectare property along the river.
He said he was impressed with the quality and shape of his purchases and had expected to pay slightly more.
"They were fairly cheap for what rams they were," he said.
"I'll put them over the younger stuff to keep the breeding going forwards."
Dust N Rain 22-0200 was the third ram to make $4200 and was bought by return clients Wayne and Arleta Smith, Karoola, Pooncarie.
Another Dorper, the 100kg, April 2022 drop, was by Nugget 191501 and had an EMD of 47mm, EMA of 34.38 sq cm and 4.5mm fat.
The type three ram was part of a draft of six rams bought by the Smiths to average $3700.
Mr Smith said he was chasing rams with a mature head and good overall type across his purchases.
"A good strong head follows through to the rest of the sheep usually, a long neck and thick body and thick boned," he said.
"The depth and width comes with it.
"I think there was some pretty good buys toward the end."
White Dorpers sold to a top of $4000 five times, with John Palmer, Mount Manara Pastoral Company, Ivanhoe, buying all of them.
The first, the April 2022-drop, type-three Dust N Rain 22-0348, by Superdooper 200540, weighed 102kg with an EMD of 54mm, EMA of 44.07 sq cm and 5mm fat.
Dust N Rain 22-0010, by Spring Hill 200567, was a 99kg, type three ram. He scanned an EMD of 52mm, EMA of 42.04 sq cm and 5mm fat.
Dust N Rain 22-0453, by Iron Jack 180435 out of Dust N Rain-200676, was a type four, 98.5kg, with an EMD of 48mm, EMA of 35.85 sq cm, and 4mm fat.
The two type-five Iron Jack sons, Dust N Rain U-ripper and Dust N Rain Uptown, were May and June 2022 drops and weighed 84.5kg and 82.5kg, respectively.
Mr Palmer took home another two rams to average $3886.
Other volume buyers included Hayden Cullinan, Nindethana Station, Wentworth, who bought eight to an equal top of $3800 and average of $3175.
Todd Morton, Barraroo Pastoral Pty Ltd, Menindee, bought 12 to a $3800 top and $3300 average, while the Strachan family of Tulney Point Station, Pooncarie, bought eight to an equal top of $4000 to average $3150.
Brett Vagg, Bonton Station, Ivanhoe, purchased 10 to an equal top of $3600 to a $2950 average.
Stud principal Gary Cullinan said it was a fantastic result.
"I was really happy with the average and to sell all the rams," he said.
"I thought it might have been a bit weaker but it was really strong right through.
"We had a few new people this year so I was really happy."
He said the stud was beginning to get a name for itself and people were starting to seek out the Dust N Rain genetics, which was based heavily on bloodlines from Ootha-based stud Burrawang.
BR and C Agents conducted the sale with Jason Morrison, Mildura, as the auctioneer. AuctionPlus provided the online interface.