Inverleigh Poll Dorset and White Suffolk stud feels the impact of tight times

Tough conditions in the lead up to Englewood Park Poll Dorset and White Suffolk stud's annual on-property sale at Inverleigh saw a strong start, which tailed off as the auction progressed.

A significant number of the Poll Dorset and Southdown sires went to clients of BR&C Agents, Swan Hill, with most of the rest going to local producers.

The stud sold 91 of the 121 Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams offered, for an average of $1617.

Four of the White Suffolk rams sold for $2300 each.

The stud topped last year's highest price, despite the tight conditions hitting the sector.

Englewood Park stud co-principal Geoff Oliver said the season at Inverleigh had been very tough.

"I thought the early rams sold exceptionally well, especially the elite rams and the first half of the flock rams, but we were just missing out on a few buyers at the end," Mr Oliver said.

"There was the normal sort of crowd here, we just needed a few more buyers.

"There are not the ewes around, with the drought and that."

The top-priced ram, a Poll Dorset, was sold to Colin Gitsham, Kerang, who paid $3500 for Lot 3.

Mr Gitsham runs a commercial flock and a small stud, and it was his first time buying at Englewood Park.

"I have a small Dorset stud where we have about 500 crossbred ewes for prime lambs; the rest is mainly cropping," he said.

"The stud is for our own use, and we sell a few."

He said he liked the ram's breeding, as its mother had good characteristics.

"The mother has had multi-births and she was a triplet," he said.

"Geoff has always had good sheep, with a reputation for good structure and feet, which you always want to improve on."

He said he had been using sires from Abelene Park Poll Dorsets, Woolomin, NSW, and Janmac Poll Dorsets, Goroke, among sheep from other studs previously.

"I am happy with Abelene Park ram we have got, but this one is for our young ewes," he said.

Mr Oliver said the top-priced ram was a twin.

"There was plenty of meat and bone on them; they were well balanced - he could have chosen either one, and he should be happy with him," he said.

Lot 3, a May 2024-drop ram, was sired by AP183.18 and out of EP364.20, a triplet.

He weighed 121.5 kilograms, had a fat measurement of 7 millimetres and an eye muscle area of 41.64 square centimetres.

He said he had been feeding the rams for a year.

"We haven't had half our yearly rainfall yet, so we are not out of the woods yet," he said.

"We want a big rain within the next month.

"The most rain we've had since July is 10 millimetres."

He said he knew it was going to be tough and he should have probably dropped a few rams off the catalogue, but still elected to sell the full complement offered.

"You've just got to play it by ear," he said.