Dorpers: 24 of 26 rams sold to $14,000 av $2456
White Dorpers: Total clearance of 20 rams to $10,000 av $1900Dorper ewes: Total clearance of 20 to $3800 av $1340
WDR ewes: Total clearance of 18 to $2500 av $1022
African D555: Total clearance of four to $65 and av $65
DELL Dorpers made a stunning debut on the ram sale circuit last week, with a well-travelled crowd from three States pushing the sale average up at Fairfield Farm, Moama.
Twenty-four of the 26 Dorper rams at the Van Niekerk's family farm sold to $14,000, averaging $2456.
All 20 White Dorper rams on offer cleared to $10,000, av $1900.
The top priced White Dorper Ram African G191 was sold to Digby Lewis of Murray Downs White Dorpers at Swan Hill.
African G191 is the sire of African D555 who has won seven broad ribbons at three major shows including supreme White Dorper exhibit at the 2012 NSW Championships, grand champion White Dorper ram at the 2012 Australian Sheep & Wool Show and the senior champion White Dorper ram at the 2012 National Show.
Bulk buyers included Mitch Harrison from Langwell Station via Broken Hill, NSW, who bought six rams av $1000, while Carl O' Donoghue, Elmore, took home six rams av $1141.
And adding to the NSW contingent C Lowe of Nomuula Dorpers, Tamworth, who took home five ewes av $1430.
Of the commercials offered by Dell, 61 sold to a top of $250, av $178 - the bulk of which were taken home by John Voiten, who bought 34 av $197.
The van Niekerks worked closely with the Gunbar stud, operated by the Campbell family from Goolgowi - a sister stud of Dell Dorpers.
It was a Gunbar stud Dorper ram which was topped the sale at $14,000, sold to Norm Sommerville on behalf of a partnership between The Croft Dorpers and Nonning Dorpers, Lucindale, SA.
Mr Sommerville said the ram was clearly the best ram in the sale and would be integral in getting fresh genetics into his group's breeding program.
The South Australian studs also bought the second-highest priced Dorper, a brother of the $14,000 ram, at $11,000.
"We can't get black genetics anywhere in SA, so this is well worth the trip for us," Mr Sommerville said.
Of the inaugural sale at Fairfield Farm, Andrea van Niekerk said the family had worked closely with the Campbell family and had flushed their top ewes with their top rams for them.
"They took the opportunity to take our advice, keeping the top 15 rams from the flush and allow them to grow slowly on their natural environment," she said.
Ms van Niekerk said a boost pre-sale had been the stud's success at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show. "We were also very successful at the National show and Sale in Dubbo this year with our Dorpers and White Dorpers.
"Our ewe named Dell Baby Doll III was the first Dorper to win the Supreme exhibit twice in a row, which was a huge milestone for Dell Dorpers and a lot of her relations were in our sale."