Full clearance and average lift a handy result for Ulandi Park Poll Dorsets

With a top of $7000 reached twice, average of $1430 and full clearance, Ulandi Park Poll Dorsets principal Clayton Rowett was very pleased with the sale result at Marrabel on Friday.

A packed shed with 134 Poll Dorset rams was abuzz with buyers from throughout SA and interstate ready to take home the Ulandi Park genetics.

The sale outperformed 2024's when 134 of 145 rams were sold to a top of $7000 and average of $1234.

Janmac Poll Dorset stud, Goroke, VIC, secured lot 3 to a top price of $7000.

It was a twin-born ram, with Lambplan figures of 10.7 on weaning weight and in the top 20 per cent for lean meat yield which measured 3.9.

Janmac principal Grant Hausler said Mr Rowett had spoken highly of this ram from a young age.

"I think he will fit in well with our group," Mr Hausler said.

The Ulandi Park ram offered fast-growing, clean points and overall clean sheep traits, which Mr Hausler chased.

"He (lot 3) will breed very good rams for us in years to come," he said.

"We are really positive for the coming years for the lamb job...very positive going ahead and hoping he will play a big part in that."

The Hausler family have purchased from the Rowetts for decades.

"They have always worked well for us consistently and have always performed for us," Mr Hausler said.

This particular ram will make his way to stud where he will join other rams in the 500-600 Poll Dorset ewe flock.

The equal top price of $7000 was paid for by Pendham Park, Naracoorte, repeat buyers of top end rams.

This year's sale attracted 33 registered buyers from Riverton to Booleroo Centre, Lyndoch to Balaklava, Wagga Wagga, Hamilton and Albury.

Volume buyers Boxall Family Trading Trust, Marrabel, took 28 rams to an average of $800.

Purchasing on behalf of the family, Jason Boxall said they had been long-time supporters of the Rowett's Ulandi Park Poll Dorset stud.

"Some of these rams will stay here (at Marrabel) and others will make their way to our property at Parrakie (in the state's Mallee)," Mr Boxall said.

The family runs 5500 ewes across the two properties.

The rams will be put over Merino ewes to support their trade lamb enterprise.

Other volume buyers included Sterita Park Pastoral, via Lucindale, who took 14 rams to an average of $1685.

Buying for Sterita Park was Natalia, who is the third generation of the DiGiorgio family who have been buying rams at the Ulandi Park sale for 25 years.

This year's sale didn't come without challenges.

"We've cleared all the rams in a tough year," Mr Rowett said.

"We knew we had a lot of clients that have sold all their sheep because of the drought and we knew we'd struggle with that, but we had some new clients, overall, it's a good result."

Still as passionate today as he was 45 years ago when he first started breeding, Mr Rowett said he always strived to better the rams.

"The rams are good, considering the season they've had," he said.

"I'm always striving for them to look better but I think our top end rams are as good as we've had for some time.

"I'm pleased we have some top end rams going interstate."

The sale was conducted by Nutrien and Elders, and interfaced with AuctionsPlus.

Elders stud stock Tony Wetherall congratulated Clayton and Andrea on the team they presented.

"You come to this sale every year and honestly, I'm gob smacked because they just get better and better," Mr Wetherall said.

"You know, if you want a Poll Dorset that exhibits all the qualities of the breed, with that growth, that meat, that carcass, that production and what that's going to do, that Ulandi Park ram is going to give you profit."

Nutrien auctioneer Gordon Wood said Ulandi Park offered something for both the stud and commercial buyers.

He said the volume of rams available gave all buyers good options whether they were choosing based on performance data or a phenotype.

"Clearly people do well with them because you stand up here and it's a lot of the same names that pop up," Mr Wood said.