THE run of South East ram sales wound up last Friday with Gowan Brae Poll Dorsets staging their 32nd annual on-property sale at Furner, showcasing a line-up of 122 exceptional quality sires.
A strong contingent of local producers and agents from the local area and wider SE region of Kongorong, Yahl and Naracoorte, set the scene for a very solid sale.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien Millicent, with stud stock auctioneer Richard Miller stepping up to the rostrum to welcome buyers and to sell the 2021 catalogue of rams containing the bloodlines of Ulandi Park, Glen Devon, Zacman and Allendale.
Two stud sires were offered first up.
Lot 1 was knocked down to LR&TR Kent, Canunda, through O'Connor & Graney at $2200, the second selling to Danny and Tash Bellinger, Furner, through John Chay & Co Millicent at $1600.
The impressive line-up of rams attracted strong competition all the way through the catalogue. The top price ram at Lot 50 generated a fair bit of interest among local producers and was the ram nominated by Gowan Brae principal Leigh Clifford as his annual donation to the Millicent Cancer Support Group.
Local Furner graziers Scott and Nick Clarke, Woomera Homestead, came out on top after a flurry of bidding, buying Lot 50 for the top price of the day at $2600. The Clarkes were also the volume buyers of the sale, successfully bidding on 16 rams, paying from $1000 to the top of $2600 for an average of $1356 through Nutrien Millicent.
The Lot 50 May 2020-drop ram, carrying the genetics of Allendale AD353-18, recorded solid Lambplan figures with a post-weaning weight 14.0, PW Fat of -1.1, eye muscle depth of 0.9 with terminal carcass production figure of 128.98.
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A staunch attendee of the annual Gowan Brae sale, Scott Clarke said he was pleased to have contributed to the Millicent Cancer Support Group by buying this year's nominated ram.
"You can't beat Gowan Brae rams for size, structure and good conformation," he said.
Trevor and Joe Rayson, Sunray Pastoral, Hatherleigh, bought 14 rams to $1600 for an average of $1293 through Merrett Livestock, Millicent with P&J Livestock, Millicent, buying 10 rams to $1400 for an average of $1120, through John Chay & Co, Millicent.
"It was very pleasing to see all the regular buyers turning up again, as well as a few new faces in the crowd in what was a very steady sale," Mr Clifford said.
"The two new bloodlines in this year's rams - Allendale and Glen Devon - have put more meat into the carcass and show a good deal of depth in the big bodied rams. I've been very hard on the wool, keeping to short, denser skins and concentrating on bone and structure."
Mr Miller said the presentation of rams was "exceptional".
"It was far and away the best draft of Gowan Brae rams I've been involved with" he said.
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