'Best draft of rams' adds up to more lots sold at Kelly Poll Dorsets
The Binnum-based Kelly Poll Dorset stud was rewarded for its big carcase, easy-fleshing rams with a higher top price and more rams sold at its 11th annual production ram sale.
Stud principals Stephen, Kathy and Samantha Kelly sold 42 of 58 rams averaging $1471.
This was nine more than 2025's sale when they sold 33 rams of 50 offered for a nearly identical $1475 average and $1800 high.
The $2600 sale topper this year was the sole buy of Ed Downing, Downing Farming, Mundulla, who was looking for a new sire to put over the family's Poll Dorset ewes.
Mr Downing said the July 2025 drop - Lot 4 - was "the pick ram" for its shape and length and growth for age.
The son of Woolumbool 20/7464 was one of the highest indexing rams in the catalogue with a Terminal Carcase Production Index of 149.7, including a post weaning weight figure of 16.9.
Nutrien Naracoorte branch manager Richard Jennings led the buyer list with nine rams for Lambshed Pastoral for a $2144 average, while the DiGiorgio family, Sterita Park Pastoral, Lucindale, took home eight rams averaging $1750.
Yoho Farming Trust, Frances, also bought eight rams, averaging $1013.
Nutrien auctioneer Richard Miller said there had been a big lift in quality in the Kelly family's rams in recent years.
"They are the best draft of rams I have seen here," he said.
"They were as good a ram for performance and growth that we sell anywhere in SA in the Poll Dorsets and the structure was also impressive, they were great on their feet and legs and the data backed the rams up."
Mr Miller said loyal buyers got value for money being able to shop at two different price points.
"Most people here bought a few dearer rams at $2100 to $2200, but were then able to average them back with a few cheaper ones for $800 to $1000 as they went on," he said.
Samantha Kelly said it was really pleasing to see repeat buyers coming back each year and this year extending their budgets, especially in the top end.
"I was pleasantly surprised, but I guess the lamb market is doing very well at the moment and when you calculate how much and how many lambs you can make from that ram it is well worth it," she said.
The stud is excited for the 2027 joining making several new sire purchases in the past month, including the junior champion ram, Gererdan 250025, from the 2026 Australasian Dorset Championships at Bendigo, Vic, for $9000.
"He has a great structure and the height that I want to keep in the stud but also the meat," she said.
In a private sale at the Dorset Championships, Kelly Poll Dorsets outlaid $15,000 for Rangeview 250085, the winner of the junior Lambplan performance class and they have also bought a ram from the Armdale stud, NSW.
"Our aim is to keep improving the quality and keeping the structure up," Ms Kelly said.
Nutrien Naracoorte conducted the sale.
