Repeat clients chase style, lustre and micron with Karori Merino rams
Karori Merino ram sale delivered quality and consistency to mainly repeat clients at the Blomfield family's on-farm sale at Walcha on Thursday.
Top-priced ram Karori 430, by one of the stud's best breeding sires K236, sold for $2200 to repeat client Dwaine Hoad, Edina, at Walcha.
The clean and stylish ram presented with a fleece diameter of 14.4 micron and a standard deviation of 2.7 micron, with a positive yearling clean fleece weight of +1.9 and a negative yearling faecal egg count of -53.
Mr Hoad, whose family have been buying Karori rams for the past decade, return because of their good style and figures, including proven worm resistance.
"It's about the package, and the stylish wool," said Mr Hoad, who farms with his brother Lucas. "The nice style of wool is the main reason we come back."
In total 44 Karori rams were offered, of which 23 sold to an average of $1227.
Volume buyers included the Inwood family, Toulon at Bathurst, who have returned to buy Karori rams for the last 16 years and came away this time with four sires to a top of $1200 to average $1150.
"The style and softness of Karori wool is exceptional," said Michael Inwood, whose daughter Emelia is now the enterprise livestock manager.
"We struggle to get rams at the micron that suit us with that style, as well as being a good plain body.
"These rams are modern Merinos, uncomplicated and plain. We don't mulse and we have no problems with flies.
"But it's the bright lustre of this wool and the micron as well that attracts us to Karori."
The Alt brothers from Rangers Valley via Glen Innes also purchased four rams to a top of $1400 to average $1150.
The brothers' top-priced ram, Karori 018, by the horned sire K083, had a fibre diameter of 15.5 micron, coefficient of variation of 16 per cent, and a YFEC of -55.
"We love the beautiful white wool," said Peter Alt, who with his brother Tim has been purchasing Korari rams for the past 12 years.
"Their lambs cut a good weight of wool and they suit our country.
"The rams are beautiful and soft and there's not much between them."
Murray Henderson, Demy Curralah at Coolah, paid $1400 for the 15.3 micron Karori 161 by the semi-poll K416, with top 5pc worm resistance.
"These rams last and they produce fine wool. They're good sheep and worth the drive," he said.
The longest serving and most loyal client, Marg McFarland, Craig Darrock via Walcha, has been buying Karori rams for 20 years - since the inception of the stud's annual sale - and came away with two rams to a top of $1200 to average $1100.
"Mrs McFarlane bought eight rams last year and didn't really need any but told me to top them up," said property manager Noel Henry.
Karori stud classer Katrina Blomfield, who is passing her skills to the next generation, said she was taught the way from advocate of plain bodied Merino sheep Dr Jim Watts, who classed the stud's rams for six years before Karori began selling their rams on-property.
The sale was hosted by the Australian Wool Network with Nutrien studstock.
