Strong demand at Palana Poll Dorsets as rams sell to NSW and Queensland

Quality was the name of the game at the annual Palana Poll Dorset Ram and Ewe Sale, held on Wednesday at the Guyra showgrounds.

Buyers from Warialda, Scone, and Queensland travelled to the sale, which brought 21 registered buyers and a 100 per cent clearance rate.

Three rams reached the top price of $2200 with the 51 rams averaging $1498.

Two of the equal-top rams, Palana 23 and Palana 160, sold for $2200 to Leith McColl's fat lamb and Merino wool operation near Goondiwindi, Qld, on the Dumeresq River.

Palana 23, a September-2024 drop by Gooramma 50-19, weighed 107 kilograms and scanned six millimetre rib fat with 41.61 square centimetres eye muscle area.

Palana 160, 113kg, a twin-born ram by Gooramma 102-19, scanned 7mm rib with 37.69sq cm EMA.

The third equal-top priced ram, Palana 18, another Gooramma 50-19 son, sold to the Layton family at Bundarra.

The 106.5kg ram scanned 7mm rib with 38.8sq cm EMA.

In the ewes, all 13 sold to a $900 top, averaging $638.

Andrew and Elizabeth Walmsley, Glen Innes, picked up the top ewe, Palana 50, a Gooramma 50-19 daughter.

Born a triplet, the September-2024 drop weighed 90kg and scanned 10mm rib with 28.18sq cm EMA.

Mr Walmsley said he was a return client of three years and favoured the stud's quality breeding and convenient location.

"We're going to have a small herd, and breed our own," he said.

"Our son has a little Dorset herd and he's been about that."

Palana principal Keith Loosemore said it was good to see strong interest from buyers attending the sale in-person.

"We were pretty happy with the way the rams sold," he said.

He said drier conditions probably had some impact on softer ewe sales but it was positive to have a full clearance.

Auctioneer Craig Waters, Elders Guyra-Armidale, said it was a good result.

"Our ewe numbers are back a long way in the New England, folks are getting out of them. So surprisingly, our ewes was stood up like it did. They [were] solid," he said.

"The rams presented magnificently, as they normally do."

The sale was covered by Elders Guyra-Armidale and interfaced with AuctionsPlus.