Volume buyers underpin Kenlorne auction

The Walker family presented another quality line-up of 89 Poll Dorset rams, with 75 selling to $2800 - up $500 from last year - and averaging $1320.

The sale was well attended by local graziers and return buyers from the Penola, Furner, Millicent, Thornlea and Tantanoola districts, as well as a regular client from Keith.

First into the sale ring were three stud rams.

The large-framed lot 1 ram had a Lamb Eating Quality index of 124.3 and Terminal Carcase Production index of 132.5, along with figures of 1.5 for eye muscle, -1 post-weaning fat, and 13.3 PW weight. It attracted very spirited bidding before being knocked down to local grazier Les Ellis, Roseneath, Millicent, at the sale high of $2800.

Long-time buyers Bimbimbie Proprietors, Penola, were volume buyers, successfully bidding between $800 to $2000 on 24 rams, paying an average of $1163.

Regular client Peter Altschwager, MD Altschwager & Sons, Tantanoola, bought 17 rams from $1000-$1800, averaging $1382.

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Paying from $800-$1800, local grazier and return buyer Jason Sutherland, Bray, bought 15 rams for an average of $1353.

Kenlorne stud's Ken Walker said the sale went well, but "we just ran out of buyers at the end".

He said the stud is striving to breed thick-set rams with good volume and muscle and is looking forward to seeing the results in progeny on the ground, with the injection of genetics from Newbold and Bundara Downs over the next two years.

Elders auctioneer Tom Penna said the offering showed "plenty of bone and plenty of barrel".

"I get to come to Beachport every other year for this sale and know that the Walkers are buying very good sires and I can see those genetics breeding through" he said.

"There's currently amazing confidence in the Poll Dorset breed and these quality grassfed rams - some of them still with their lamb's teeth - are certainly no exception and were incredible value for money.

"The top end of the sale was very strong but in light of everything else, we just needed another couple of buyers to finish off the sale as solid as we started."

Elders and Nutrien conducted the sale.