THE recent 29th annual Lampata ram sale at Lameroo was one of fluctuating fortunes.
The highlight was undoubtedly the achievement of a $3000 record high - twice - for the Pocock family, as appreciative buyers competed strongly for the high quality Poll Merinos on offer.
As is often the case with sales of less than 100, the absence of a significant regular client can have a bigger percentage effect on the clearance.
This was magnified this year at Lampata when four strong buyers from last year's sale were not participating. Those four buyers collectively bought 28 rams last year.
Consequently, there was not a total clearance at auction, with 48 of the 60 rams selling, but still averaging a very healthy $1023 as other regular buyers made the most of the opportunity. The average was down only $114 on last year when competition was strong to the very end.
Elders Keith auctioneer Steve Doecke said presale that the well-nourished fleece weights and fat covering were both up this year and that the line-up was the most even and structurally sound he had seen at Lampata.
Two buyers in particular, the Elleways, Cleve, and the Hunts, Bordertown, were equal top-price ram buyers and the two biggest volume buyers.
Ray and David Elleway travel over regularly to select Lampata's performance-tested rams for their wool and carcase focus at their Cleve holding. They took six select rams at a $1933 average.
Their $3000 by was for Lampata 14173Tw. Described by Elders auctioneer Steve Doecke as ''a ram that ticks all the boxes," the 18.8-micron ram was well on the right side of the ledger in all measured performance traits, plus being exceptionally sound for phenotype.
To highlight its dual-purpose attributes, it was 129.2 for clean fleece weight (equal-second highest in catalogue) and fourth highest for eye muscle depth percentage ranking. The Elleways also included the highest clean fleece weight ram in their buys, and of the six rams to sell for $2000 or better, they took three of them.
The other top-price buyers were Bill and Ben Hunt, Bordertown. They took five rams at a $1280 average and were underbidders on several of the other high-price lots. Their top buy was for Lampata 14190Tw, a 20.2M ram that also had good figures across the board, highlighted by 127.7 for eye muscle depth, the highest in the offering. This combined with the ram's other balanced performance figures placed him at number-one for overall index at 118.8.
Keith Trenorden, Murray Bridge, paid $2600 for his only purchase, and Trevor and Wayne Gilbertson, underbidders on the Elleways' equal sale topper, paid $2100 for one of two rams they purchased. These were the other two rams to top $2000 - and both purchasers have paid the top price at this sale in previous years.
A group of loyal regular buyers and one new client secured from one to four rams each.
Those purchasing four rams each were PS Wallis, Serviceton, Vic (averaging $825); Tom Evans, Karoonda (averaging $700); Jax Joynt, Loxton (averaging $675); and Clemara Trading P/L, Karoonda (averaging $550). Jax Joynt also picked up another after the auction.
