Top price, averages, soar more than $2000 higher in Cobar Dorper ram sale
Positivity across the board lifted prices well above the reserve at the 2026 Cobar Invitational Dorper and White Dorper sale on Tuesday, August 4.
The multivendor sale welcomed buyers from across the state's Central and Far West, and further afield to Victoria and Queensland.
Prices jumped by more than $2750 from the previous year, and reached a top of $7200 for Dell 250324, bought by Ben and Emma Palmer, Palapah Pastoral, Ivanhoe.
Ms Palmer said the plan was to bring home the best ram of the day, to join with a mob of about 68 ewes at home.
"We went there solely with the intention of just getting one good ram to put with our stud ewes to breed rams out of," she said.
"We were looking for good structure, good length of body, and going for the colour as well.
"We're very particular about having the black head, and no black anywhere else - his genetics as well, he's a nice, solid, ram for his age."
The twin-born, May 2025-drop ram, by Kaya 210584 and from Dell 230242, weighed in at 103kg in July. He recorded a weaning weight (WWT) of 30kg, a post-weaning weight (PWWT) of 80.5kg, and a post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) of 40 millimetres.
The ram will be joined after passing his checks, set to more than make up for his price, Ms Palmer said.
"I had a feeling with the way the season's going, everyone was going to want something," she said.
"He wasn't too far off what I was envisioning we'd have to spend to get what we were after."
Andrea Vagg, Dell Dumisa Dorpers and White Dorpers, Mathoura, thanked both vendors and buyers for supporting a highly-competitive sale day, bringing back repeat buyers of nearly a decade.
"I was blown away by the prices of all our rams, it shows the buyers have confidence in our genetics," she said.
"We think our sheep are getting better every year, and we work at it much harder. Buyers are getting really good money for their lambs, and it's good to see them get rewarded for that."
At the fall of the final hammer, 78 of 84 rams sold, with most passed in lots picked up following the sale. Dorpers averaged $3227, while the White Dorpers sold to a $3200 top, and averaged $1995.
Top-priced White Dorper, Dumisa 250350, sold to volume buyers Mount Hope Pastoral, Mount Hope, to help push their new Dorper enterprise forward.
By Dumisa Jack 220725 and from Dumisa 210202, the ram weighed 111kg in July, and recorded a 38.5kg WWT, 88kg PWWT, and a PEMD of 42mm.
"We're currently running an accelerated joining program to try and maximise our production," Mount Hope manager James Barry said.
"We'll be joining every eight months to maximise our reproduction without having to spend too much ... given the price of sheep, it's very difficult to buy in volume at the current prices."
The Far West-based pastoral company bought 16 rams to average $1750, with two passed in lots also picked up after the sale.
Mr Barry said positive seasonal conditions across the region had lifted confidence in the sheep job.
"We're cracking along now, we've had really timely rains that have us humming along," he said.
"I don't want to sound greedy, but another one wouldn't go astray."
Repeat buyers Osterley Downs also made the most of favourable conditions, and bought 10 rams to a $3780 average.
Thomas Pastoral, Ivanhoe, and Andrew Paul, Ivanhoe, each secured the two second-top-priced rams for $5200 each.
Nutrien Russell Cobar agent Hamish Adlington said confidence across the board pushed up demand and prices.
"The mutton job is so good and the lamb job's good as well, it's got a lot of confidence in it," he said.
"A lot of people culled a lot of rams and ewes when it got dry, a lot of folks needed those bulk rams."
The sale was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions Russell, Cobar, with John Settree and Hamish Adlington the auctioneers. It was interfaced online with StockLive.
