A "correct and solid meat machine" started Newbold's 78th annual sale off with a bang at Gawler River on Friday last week, with the lot one Poll Dorset making five figures to a Victorian stud.
Knocked down to Ilfracombe Poll Dorsets, Donald, Vic, for $10,000, the ram was simply described by Newbold principal Bill Close as "a beautiful sheep, with lots of meat and lots of growth".
It had figures to match the eye test, ranking in the top five per cent of the breed on weaning weight (12.49), post weaning weight (18.94), lean eating quality (157.71) and terminal carcase production (160.14).
The April 2021-drop ram had placed second in the Lambplan Ram, Lamb Production Terminal Pair and Lamb Production Terminal Group competitions at the recent Royal Adelaide Show.
All eleven stud Poll Dorset rams offered were sold to good competition, averaging $3554.
Of Newbold's 88 flock Poll Dorset rams, 60 sold to a high of $2600 and average of $1290.
The clearance rate on the Poll Dorsets was slightly up on 2021, with Newbold's White Suffolks also performing favourably compared to last year.
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Their six stud White Suffolk rams averaged $1883, while 54 of 61 flock rams sold to a top of $2300 and average of $1154.
In total, the 71 Poll Dorset rams sold averaged $1515, while the 60 White Suffolks averaged $1226.
Prior to the rams, five of ten Poll Dorset stud ewes were sold, averaging $800.
"It was a strong sale on the Poll Dorset stud rams and it's always exciting to sell a ram for $10,000," Mr Close said.
"There was also good demand on the high-end (flock) Poll Dorsets.
"We've found that there's a tendency towards White Suffolks in cropping areas like ours, so there was good competition on those too.
"I think the slight increase in average and clearance was reflective of the solid season we're having in lamb production and cropping areas."
A regular Newbold client WB&SJ Hurn, Angaston, was the day's volume buyer, successful on 13 Poll Dorsets to $2500, averaging $1677, and one White Suffolk for $1200.
WA&WB Pearce, Parawa, bought 11 Poll Dorset rams all at $800, with Scottswell Partners, Keith, buying ten to $2500, averaging $1860.
Highlands Hills P/L, through Nutrien Riverton, bought seven to $1600, averaging $1257, with Florando Partners, Keith, buying six to $2600 twice, averaging $1900.
Leading the way on the White Suffolk rams was the Hahn family, through Nutrien Gawler, with ten to $1300, averaging $1120, and Darwena Ag, through Nutrien Adelaide, who bought six to $2000, averaging $1550.
Nutrien and Elders conducted the sale, with Leo Redden and Tony Wetherall the auctioneers.
Mr Wetherall said there was good depth of quality across both breeds from one of the older studs in SA.
"They're well-grown, good-figured rams and the lineup was very even from start to finish," he said.
"There was a bit of stud enquiry on the Poll Dorsets and the quality was certainly there to go to studs.
"The commercial sale was strong, but just lacked some buyers towards the end, but that wasn't a reflection on quality at all."
