DESPITE a less than ideal season, commercial lamb producers were keen to buy from the Poll Dorset ram offering at the Leenala and Wrattenbullie stud auction at Naracoorte showground on October 13.
The Schinckel and Davies families penned a magnificent line-up of long, good frame and very well-muscled Poll Dorset rams for competition from 52 registered bidders, a 36 per cent increase in registrations on last year.
Under the control of auctioneers, Southern Australian Livestock's Mat MacDonald and Elders' Ronnie Dix, the sale achieved a 94pc clearance, with 195 of 208 rams sold to a top of $7000, averaging $1046.
An offering of 12 stud rams by Alan and Lyn Schinckel, Leenala, opened the sale, with all sold to average $2979.
Leenala's Hamilton Sheepvention, Vic, supreme Poll Dorset exhibit, Leenala 130379 Twin, by Leenala 110223, was purchased by G&NL Wilson, Willow Park stud, Byford, WA, bidding via phone connection with livestock consultant Leigh Allan, for $5250.
But Leenala 130041, the May 2013-drop class winner at Hamilton, and Melbourne Royal Show Balmoral Trophy winner topped the sale at $7000, bought by Josh McInnes, Achnaneilan stud, Naracoorte.
Former Naracoorte agent Darcy Nolan was a great supporter of the sale and his death earlier this year from cancer prompted the Schinckel family to donate the funds from their highest selling flock ram to the Cancer Council for research into this insidious disease.
That was achieved in the first pen of Leenala flock rams when L130116 Tw sold at $2300 to JA,JJ&SJ Hole, Naracoorte, their only purchase.
Each stud offered drafts of flock rams in alternate runs of nine, coming into the ring in pens of three.
These included Steve DiGiorgio, S&R DiGiorgio, through Landmark Naracoorte, nine to average $978 and Brian Johnson, LS Johnson & Son, through Elders Naracoorte, 10 to average $860.
James Russell, GE Russell Pastoral Co, Balmoral, Vic, buying through LMB Linke, Hamilton, bought 10 at $1000 to $1600.
The $1600 top price ram from Wrattenbullie was bought by HJM&KM Hole, Naracoorte, their only purchase.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 23, 2014 issue.
