THE Boughen's reputation for producing easy-care Poll Merinos encouraged buyers from four states to attend the family's Kamora Park stud ram sale at Sandalwood on Friday.
Overall, 45 buyers registered for the sale.
In the main auction of 200 rams, 194 sold to $5600 twice and averaged $2023 - a $454 jump on last year's result.
A mini auction was held of nine rams, where seven more cleared at $600 each, making the overall average $1974 for 201 rams sold by Colin and Julie Boughen and family.
Roger Polkinghorne, Charinga stud, St Arnaud, Vic, was one prominent interstate bidder, impressed by Kamora Park's team at the recent Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Bendigo, Vic.
He started with a successful $3200 bid for KP150 - a well-balanced, big-barrelled son of Old Ashrose 445, supported by strong Merino Select carcase traits.
But it was KP1385, sired by KP333, at 10 lots later that Mr Polkinghorne placed the equal sale-topping bid of $5600.
KP1385 was +6.2 for yearling weight and +10 for yearling clean fleece weight, with wool measuring 18.5 micron and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.
It cut an impressive 11.48 kilograms for six months wool growth.
"This ram has a big barrel and quick growth, plus it is a positive wool cutter with rich and heavy-cutting wool," Mr Polkinghorne said.
It was not until lot 71 that the $5600 top price was equalled.
Ashley and Kingsley Morrell, Bowhill, were pushed to that level to purchase KP941.
Sired by Western Plains Majestic, it was +15YCFW of 19.7M and 99.7CF.
"We were looking for frame size, carcase traits with soft handling, bright and white wool and this ram had all that," Ashley said.
The Morrells mate about 1500 ewes and bought five rams, averaging $3020.
Scott Dinham, Tailem Bend, who regularly buys a handful of top Kamora Park rams including last year's top was again a strong bidder, buying four rams to $5000, averaging $4100.
The MacAllan family, Red Creek, were again strong bidders, successful on three top rams, paying to $5000, averaging $3700.
Ian Symonds, Why Gee Pastoral, Karoonda, is a long-term Kamora Park buyer, this year going to $5200 for four rams, averaging $3150.
DA&HMM Shepley, Clover Downs, Corny Point, was the only other buyer to pay $5000, purchasing two rams, averaging $3550.
Another buyer who travelled from Eyre Peninsula was DG&KJ Daniell, Coobowie, who bought three rams, averaging $3467. This included KP 772 - the junior and grand champion fine wool Poll Merino at the AS&WS - at $3800.
Clinton Blight, Seymour Park stud, Narrogin, WA, connected to the sale by phone via Elders, successfully bidding $4000 for KP870 - an 18.5M son of one of his own bred rams, SP23.
This sire was purchased by the Boughens for $25,000 and is one of three Seymour Park rams successfully used by Kamora Park in recent years.
Having by far the biggest impact on the sale clearance were the two biggest volume buyers.
George Verco, Marcollat Pastoral, and buying through Adam Bradley, Platinum Livestock, Keith, took the overall volume buying honours.
He purchased 11 rams for the first time two years ago, increasing that to 21 rams last year and in a huge vote of confidence in what Kamora Park rams are doing in their breeding program, this year ramping that up to 41 rams.
Thirty nine came from the main auction, paying to $1600 and averaging $1056 to put a huge floor in the sale. They then added two from the mini auction at $600 each to bring their overall buying average down to $1034.
John and Paul Wegner, Wegner Bros, Karoonda, were as strong as ever in their long-term buying support.
They purchased 25 rams from $800 to $4600, averaging $2324. This was up $176 on average from last year when they also purchased 25 rams.
Last year's biggest volume buyer Andrew Wall, Langidoon Station, was restricted this year by the poor season in Far West NSW, but still picked up 11 in the main auction and a further five in the mini auction, averaging $694.
Landmark Karoonda and Keller Livestock conducted the sale, with Landmark stud stock's Gordon Wood and Richard Miller the auctioneers.
