SALE SUMMARY
2018 2017
Offered 240 194
Sold 216 191
Top $5200 $7200
Av $1569 $2059
MUCH-needed rain on the eve of Kamora Park Poll Merino stud’s annual ram sale on Friday at Sandalwood helped brighten buyer optimism but the season that was turning from bad to atrocious still affected bidding.
Stud principals Colin, Julie, Wade and Katelyn Boughen enjoyed a 90 per cent clearance on their magnificent line-up of easy care, dual purpose rams, but their average was back $344 on last year’s very buoyant sale.
Forty six registered bidders from four states competed for 240 rams on offer, with 216 selling to $5200 and averaging $1565.
A positive for the Boughens was selling an extra 25 rams, plus another nine more soon after.
Six rams exceeded $4000, including the $5200 sale topper bought by Scott Dinham, Tailem Bend.
The Lot 5 ram, KP114, was aptly nicknamed ‘Horse’for its size and powerful presence.
The 18.7 micron son of Moorundie 363 had a Merino Select dual purpose index of 149, including a +19 clean fleece weight.
It cut an outstanding 8.72 kilograms of wool from seven months growth with fleece tests including a,2.3 standard deviation, 12.3pc coefficient of variation and 100pc comfort factor.
It was one of five rams Mr Dinham bought for a $3560 average.
“We retained all our grain from last year for our sheep, and the current wool and sheep markets certainly warrant the extra spend if necessary to get the rams that we think will keep improving our flock,” Mr Dinham said.
Joseph Murdoch, North Cowie stud, Warooka, paid the $4800 sale’s second highest price for KP50, another Moorundie 363 son.
With a magnificent, long staple of bright, well-defined wool, this ram was the second heaviest cutter in the sale with 9.13kg at seven months, and a CFW EBV of +26.
The Blight family, Seymour Park stud, Narrogin, WA, bid via phone hook-up with Elders’ Tony Wetherall, with underbidders on the top two rams but then picked up KP 600, an impressive son of home-bred sire, KP333, for $2600.
JP & C Hein, Murray Bridge, went to $4400 in buying two rams averaging $4100.
Andy Beelitz Family Trust, buying through Landmark Lameroo, paid $4400 for KP467, the ram with the highest DP index in the catalogue at 159.
Strong Kamora Park sale supporters John and Paul Wegner, Wegner Bros,Karoonda, bid successfully on 25 rams for a $2148 average.
Their tally included Lot 3, KP1581 sired by Boonoke 948 which had the equal third highest Dual Purpose Index in the catalogue at 154.
In last year’s sale the Wegner’s 23 rams averaged $2513.
The biggest volume buyer by far was another extremely long-term and loyal client, Andrew Wall, Langidoon Station, via Broken Hill, NSW.
Despite the seasonal hardships he secured 45 rams for a $669 average, plus another four passed in lots.
Platinum Livestock Keith based agent Adam Bradley bought nearly double the number of rams compared to 2017 for clients Marcollat Pastoral.
He secured 21 rams to $2200 and averaged $929.
Ray Kowald, Kevradale, Tailem Bend, bought eight rams to $3000 for a $2025 average, while Whygee Pastoral, Karoonda, bought seven to $3000 averaging $2343.
Stud principal Colin Boughen was both pleased and relieved to have 15mm, the biggest rain for the year and also have great support from their loyal clients.
Landmark conducted the sale with Gordon Wood and Richard Miller the auctioneers.
