THIS year’s Angenup on-property ram sale met all expectations with a quality line-up of 250 Merino and Poll Merino rams selling to a 100 per cent clearance at a $2656 average.
A ripper sale last year saw 234 rams sell under the hammer at a $2769 average, which was a State record average price for a single vendor ram sale in WA at the time, and industry pundits were looking to this year’s sale to see how high values might go.
To keep values slightly in check, and to ensure all clients were able to satisfy their requirements, Angenup stud principals, the Norrish family, upped their sale numbers by offering 16 more rams than last year.
This move paid off with the overall average dropping by $113, while the increased number of rams meant the overall sale gross was up by $16,200 compared to 2017.
Poll Merinos made up the big jump in sale numbers with 69 offered this year, compared to 57 last year.
The average for the Polls was up $185 to $2613 this year, while the 181 Merinos offered (four more than last year) averaged $2673, which was down $203 on last year.
The consistency of the line-up and the quality of rams on offer right to the back row was a feature of the sale, with buyers able to operate with confidence on big-bodied rams with soft, white wools throughout the catalogue.
This depth in the offering meant many return volume buyers were back again to fulfil their sire requirements and it was not unusual for commercial producers to spend above $4000 on many occasions.
Good rains across many parts of the State last week also added to the optimism at the sale, with the season now set for a better finish than some may have anticipated two weeks ago.
Elders auctioneer Nathan King paid tribute to the Angenup breeding program after the sale.
“The interest at the back end of the sale shows the quality that was on offer in the line-up and is a credit to the Norrish family and their breeding principles,” Mr King said.
“Angenup cleared a larger number of rams this year and this meant there was good buying for all parties and all budgets.
“There wasn’t a big spike in top end prices, with the sale consistent all the way through and I think this was pleasing for all involved.”
This consistency of prices was reflected in the fact that the sale’s highest price wasn’t extreme, being set at $6200.
This was paid by one of Angenup’s longest clients Tom Marshall, Cranbrook, who year after year comes back to the sale and often walks away as the top price buyer.
Again Mr Marshall, with the assistance of Landmark Kojonup agent Troy Hornby, dominated the first row of rams buying five of the first eight offered, which were all regulation March shorn, and then topping off his purchases by paying the sale’s top price in lot 14.
Mr Marshall started his buying haul with lot one of the sale a large, white-woolled Merino ram that sold for $5000.
This ram tested at 19.6 micron, 3.2 SD, 99.7 per cent comfort factor and weighed in at 133kg.
Mr Marshall then moved on to lot two, paying $6000 (the second top price of the sale) for another quality specimen that tested at 18.3 micron, 3.3 SD and 99.8pc CF, weighing in at 111kg.
He then proceeded to collect the next three rams paying $4000, $4500 and $5100.
His $5100 purchase tested at 19.4 micron, 4 SD and 99.1pc CF and was good in the growth stakes weighing in at 120kg.
Mr Marshall then cooled his heels for several lots before joining the fray again when lot 14 was offered.
This large, upstanding May-shorn ram attracted plenty of admirers prior to the sale but it was Mr Marshall who held firm to buy the ram at $6200.
This ram tested -1.4 for micron deviation from team average (the sale team average was 17.8 in May) and had a 3.5 SD and 99.8pc CF.
It carried a terrific greasy fleece weight (GFW) recording of 119pc and weighed in at 107kg.
The ram was an ET bred son of Angenup Franklin and out of a special, high quality ewe.
Franklin is a past supreme exhibit winner at Wagin Woolorama and the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo and is continuing to breed on for the Angenup stud, while the dam of the top-priced ram was a grand champion Merino ewe winner, also at Wagin.
Of his purchases, Mr Marshall said he kept coming back to buy Angenup rams because they perform.
“I pick them out for their wool quality and frame size and they do a good job,” he said.
Mr Marshall will use the rams he purchased to mate over a specially selected ewe flock to breed rams to use over his 3000-head Merino ewe flock.
Picking up the top-priced Poll Merino ram of the sale was Kevin Broad, Elders stud stock, buying on behalf of the Old Aprelia stud, Southern Cross.
Mr Broad, who bid to $5000, said the Panizza family, who run Old Aprelia, had tried to buy the sire of the sale ram at the Narrogin Long Wool Day three years ago.
“This ram is very similar to his sire and the Panizzas were keen to introduce his length of body and true medium wool into their stud flock,” Mr Broad said.
“This ram is a heavy cutter with a true sirey outlook and a great head to go with his make and shape.
“The Panizzas have used Angenup bloodlines in the past and they have always bred good, white wools that go well in Southern Cross.”
The ram’s sire had also tasted show success being the reserve champion strong wool Poll Merino ram at several shows, including Wagin, Williams Expo, Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Victoria, and at Katanning.
Taking home a Merino ram at $5100, in what was their sole purchase of the day, was the Robinsons Yarranup, Kojonup, account.
This ram was found in lot 24 of the sale and tested at 18.7 micron, 3.5 SD and 99.4pc CF, with a body weight of 112kg.
Volume buyers and long-time Angenup clients Patrick and Helen Williamson, Williams, were back again to have an impact on the sale.
They bought 15 Merino rams in total and paid to a top of $4800 for a ram that tested at +0.8 micron deviation, 3.4 SD, 99.9pc CF, with a GFW of 116pc and a body weight of 108kg.
The Williamsons weren’t afraid to bid up to get the rams they wanted, paying $4200 for the very next ram offered and $4400 for a ram sitting in lot 89 of the sale.
The $4400 ram tested at +1.2 micron deviation, 3.9 SD, 99.4pc CF and had a GFW of 93pc with a 98kg body weight.
Second top price in the Poll Merino offering was found in the middle of the catalogue at lot 125, when Old Culicup, Boyup Brook, had the winning bid at $4600.
This ram tested -1.1 micron deviation, 3.9 SD and 99.8pc CF and had a GFW of 116 and a 100kg body weight.
Old Culicup found stiff competition on most rams it had picked out, also paying values of $4400 twice and $4000 twice in its haul of eight rams.
Its overall purchases averaged $3875.
Also paying at the top end was a relatively new Angenup client in EF Jaekel & Son, Ongerup.
Attending their first Angenup sale last year after deciding to increase their Merino ewe numbers, the Jaekel family returned this year to grab eight rams comprising five Merinos and three Polls.
They paid to a top of $4600 for lot 15 which tested at +1.3 micron deviation, 3.3 SD and 99.7pc CF with a 116pc GFW and a body weight of 104kg.
They also bought rams at $4300 and $3800 during the sale.
Once again the name called out most during sale proceedings belonged to Congeling Grazing, Williams.
After taking 54 rams from last year’s sale, Ben Fowler was back this year to take similar numbers with 53 purchased to go to work in his significant sheep operation.
Mr Fowler has been buying from Angenup for 16 years and has a philosophy of buying the best possible rams he can from the sale and this was reflected in the fact he averaged $2983 to a top of $4100 twice for his purchases.
Congeling split its buys between Polls and Merinos, but paid its $4100 top for two Polls.
The first one at $4100 was found in lot 30 and tested at
-1.8 micron deviation, 3.1 SD, 99.9pc CF and had a GFW of 114pc and a body weight of 99kg, while the second one was in lot 137 and tested at +2.4 micron deviation, 4 SD, 98pc CF with an impressive GFW of 128pc and a 99kg body weight.
PS Climie & Son, Cranbrook, found their selections were popular on the day when they took home six rams, paying to a top of $4100 twice at an average of $3817.
Other bigger volume buyers on the day included another long-term Angenup client in Melchiorre Farms, Narrogin, which bought 15 (12 Merinos and three Polls) to a top of $4200, while Rob Leusciatti, M & L Leusciatti, Kojonup, was also back again to take 14 Merinos.
Scolari Farms, Kojonup, bought 14 at auction, while Twin Oaks Farming, Wandering, finished up with 12 at good values.
Ferncourt Enterprises, York and Blackwood Grazing, Karridale, were others to break the double figure mark buying 11 and 10 rams respectively.
Also taking good numbers were JE Kelly, Kojonup, with eight rams and Riverdale Grazing, Kojonup, which also bought eight, while IH & J Lawrence, Cranbrook bought seven.
