Nutrien auctioneer Gordon Wood, Woolumbool's Phil Clothier, buyer Damien Hawker, Omad, Kaniva, Vic, Aaron Clothier and Nathan McCarthy, Elders Lucindale, with the $7000 White Suffolk ram.
REPEAT clients showed their faith in the Woolumbool genetics with strong competition throughout at the Clothier family's on-property auction.
Of the 106 White Suffolk rams offered, 105 sold to a top of $7000, averaging $1705, while the full offering of 91 Poll Dorsets sold to $4800, averaging $1905.
There was also an offering of 20 Poll Merinos rams, with four sold at $800.
The top price White Suffolk ram - a spring-drop twin which ranked 162 on the Terminal Carcase Production Index and 170 on the Lamb Eating Quality index - was bought by Damien Hawker, Omad White Suffolks, Kaniva, Vic.
Mr Hawker said the ram stood out for its combination of type and figures.
"It had a neat carcase and smooth shoulders, a good breed type with a good balance of figures," he said.
Woolumbool stud principal Phil Clothier said the ram was at the top end of the breed for a number of figures, including eating quality.
Its figures included a a postweaning weight of 16.6 - in the top 20 per cent for Sheep Genetics Australia analysis - as well as a post-weaning eye muscle depth of 3.8, PW egg count of -59, intramuscular fat of 0.3 and shear force of -4.3, which were all in the top 10pc for SGA.
Mr Clothier said the ram was also still young, with plenty of growth ahead of it.
In the Poll Dorset offering, the top price ram was sold via AuctionsPlus to first-time buyer EJ&KJ Price, Elsted Poll Dorsets, Heywood, Vic.
The spring-drop ram had a 160TCP, 156LEQ, 4.4 lean meat yield and 5PEMD and 0.29BWT, which was part of its appeal for Ewan Price.
He said the ram showed the right traits for their high rainfall area, where they need the higher muscling.
"It had the right figures with positive fat and heaps of muscle," he said.
"We follow sires on Lambplan and have a certain criteria for fat and muscle.
"We generally like using proven sires but occasionally with try a younger ram to see how it rates."
The sale also included the offering of four White Suffolk rams from Lucindale Area School, with three sold for an average $1067, with a top price of $1600.
The sale's volume buyer was Struan Research Centre, Naracoorte, which bought 25 Poll Dorset rams to $2200 for an average $1840.
Repeat client Nangwarry Pastoral Co, Nangwarry, also big heavily early in the sale, taking home 19 rams in total, including 12 White Suffolks to $2200, averaging $1700, and seven Poll Dorsets to $2200, averaging $1886.
Patrick Ross, Woolumbool, bought 12 Poll Dorset rams to $2400, averaging $1983.
Oliver Nominees, Kingston SE, bought 10 White Suffolk rams to $2400, averaging $1580.
Jim Vasey, Mansfield, bought 10 White Suffolk rams to $1400, averaging $1240.
CR&MM England, Kingston SE, took home nine Poll Dorset rams to $1800, averaging $1711.
Boonoonar Partners, Kingston SE, also bought nine Poll Dorset rams, bidding to $2000 for an average $1622.
Woomera Homestead, Furner, bought eight White Suffolk rams to $1800, averaging $1300.
All up, the sale had 15 lots sold via AuctionsPlus, selling to NSW, Vic and SA, including 10 to Devondale Family Trust, Glenthompson, Vic, which bid to $1800.
Mr Clothier said the sale results had exceeded his expectations, with almost total clearance of a well-presented line up.
"We target what we think are the traits really wanted in the industry and we've got long-term clients that purchase on that basis," he said.
He said these included the traits sought after by processors.
"We're breeding rams that will provide lambs that yield well and weigh well," he said.
"That's not always the biggest rams that do that but those that carry the correct amount of fat and muscle."
Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood said there was "feverish" bidding, predominantly from repeat buyers.
"People who use Woolumbool tend to keep returning, so they're obviously performing well," he said.
Elders Lucindale's Ronnie Dix, who shared in the auctioneering duties, agreed there was strong support from loyal clients, who picked up an estimated 90pc of the offering.
"It was a very strong sale, which is following the momentum at the moment," he said.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien Livestock and Elders, in conjunction with AuctionsPlus.
Courtesy of Elizabeth Anderson, The Stock Journal