High wool cut draws bidders to Kamora Netley Park

There were 64 registered bidders from four states in the 200-strong crowd, competing strongly for the extremely even and high quality draft of Poll Merino rams on offer.

At the completion of the sale, all 200 rams in the main auction cleared, averaging $2200 – a 13 per cent increase on last year’s sale, then a further 30 of 33 mini auction rams sold, resulting in the 230 rams averaging $2003.

The top price of $7800 was paid by Steve Baynes, Baynes Brothers, buying through Landmark Jamestown, for KNP79.

The strong boned, big barrelled ram carried a bright and heavy cutting fleece, measuring 20.3 micron, 2.9 standard deviation, 14.3pc coefficient of variation and and 99.7pc comfort factor.

At its six-month shearing, it cut 6.3kg.

This was one of four rams the Baynes Brothers bought, averaging $4950.

Heavier wool cut was the feature that brought them to this sale 12 months ago.

Brian Boughen, through Landmark Karoonda, paid the $6000 second highest price for KNP252.

He bought nine rams overall, averaging $2300. 

Underbidders on the $6000 ram and buyers of last year’s top price ram were Roger and Gail Duell, Murray Bridge, who still ended up buying four rams to $5600, averaging $4933.

The last of these at $5600 was bought in partnership with the Burbidge family, Murray Bridge.

The four were in the higher wool cutters and included KNP96, which was the second highest in the catalogue with 7.9kg for six-month wool growth.

Another top end local buying account was CA Hampel & Partners, through Landmark Loxton, also buying four rams to $5400, averaging $4050.

Twenty four rams sold for more than $4000, while 27 sold from $3000 to $4000. 

With visual features being even along with wool test results, the key deciding factor in the higher prices was wool cut, with competition dropping off for rams about or under 5 kilograms for six-month wool cut.

Landmark auctioneer Leo Redden described the sale as “value, value, value”.

“There has never been a better time to breed sheep and the quality here was exceptional,” he said. 

“The big, functional and plain bodies are taken for granted at this sale, but the whiteness and brightness of the heavy cutting fleeces was a real feature.”

To substantiate the value statement, while there was a solid top end, 36 per cent of the even quality offering sold from $500 to $1000.

The sale was conducted by Landmark Loxton, with Mr Redden and Richard Miller the auctioneers.