GOWAN Brae Poll Dorset stud, renowned among local prime lamb producers for breeding deep bodied, good carcase rams, with good bone and muscle, this year celebrated a milestone 30th on-property sale.
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Not only did the Furner-based stud achieve a total clearance of 119 head, the rams sold to $3300, averaging $1367 - a $170 increase on the 2018 sale.
Landmark Millicent conducted the auction with stud stock auctioneer Richard Miller welcoming a strong turn out of 32 registered buyers, both return and new clients from the Furner, Hatherleigh, Rendelsham, Millicent, Wattle Range, Robe and Kingston SE, with several buyers coming from Mount Gambier and from Strathdownie, Vic.
Making the top money at $3300 was lot 9, knocked down to Phil Bowman, Nambow Acres, Hatherleigh.
The impressive sire had Lambplan figures of 13 for post-weaning weight, -1.1 for post-fat, 0.7 post-eye muscle depth and a Terminal Carcase Production index of 132.
Mr Bowman only bought the one ram, which will be put out with Poll Dorset stud ewes to breed flock rams.
"I was going to keep bidding until I got it. You have to spend money to make money," he said.
"The ram was a good overall package - a good, tight skin and nice body length."
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Woomera Homestead, Furner, was the volume buyer in 2018 and again this year, paying to $1300 for 16 rams, averaging $1212.
The Gard Family, Furner bought 10 rams to $1400, averaging $1240, through Landmark Millicent; Shiloh Park bought eight rams to $1400, through Green Triangle Livestock Mount Gambier; and S&R DiGiorgio bought seven rams to $1600, averaging $1550, through Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen Naracoorte.
As has become a tradition at the sale, Mr Clifford donated the proceeds of a selected ram to the Millicent Cancer Support Group.
This year's ram - lot 50 - was bought by Gary Jones, through Landmark Mount Gambier, at $2000.
Gowan Brae stud principal Leigh Clifford was exceptionally happy with the full clearance and the prices received, but was still considering moving the annual sale to the first Friday in November.
"With the cold, wet winters we have in the South East, the extra couple of weeks will give the rams a bit more time to finish off and be better presented on sale day," he said.
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