BOTH regular and new buyers came out in support of the first combined Boorabbin Merino and Te Rakau Texel ram sale at Wannamal last week.
Boorabbin stud principals Iain and Lucy Nicholson invited Rob and Maria Wood's Te Rakua Texel stud, Bindi-Bindi, to their on-property sale complex after the couple were left without a venue following the end of the Moora ram sale.
And on a beautiful spring day, it was a Poll Merino ram from the Boorabbin offering that attracted the top price of the afternoon of $1500.
The big ram, with wool test results of 17.1 micron, 2.4 SD, 14 CV and 99.8 per cent comfort factor, was in pen one and was the first of eight shedded rams in the catalogue, with the remainder paddock reared and run.
It was one of two rams bought by first-time buyer Colin 'Chub' Walker, trading as CP & SA Walker, who travelled from Tambellup to attend the sale.
Mr Walker said he had looked at the stud's show team at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale in Katanning over the past two years, and thought they would be suitable for use over his 1500-head Merino ewe flock.
"We have a fair bit of sandy country and need greasy wool, and these rams have a fair bit of condition as well as the wool type I'm looking for," he said.
Mr Walker also bought another Poll Merino ram for $800, which had wool measuring 20.8 micron, 3.2 SD, 15.4 CV and 99.4pc CF.
Another Tambellup resident, Ben Lamont, negotiated the private sale of a Poll Merino stud reserve, which won reserve champion superfine Poll Merino ram at Katanning in August, that was on display in the shed following the sale for $3000.
A total of 58 Merino and Poll Merino rams were offered Boorabbin, of which 50 were sold under the hammer at an average of $868, up $143 on last year.
Of the 33 Merino rams offered, 25 sold at an average of $824, $149 more than last year, while all 25 Poll Merinos sold at an average of $912, up $137 on 2015.
The top price for a Merino was $1200 and was paid by regular buyer Peter Browne, Yargalain Holdings, West Calingiri, for a ram with wool measuring 17.1 micron, 2.6 SD, 15.2 CV and 99.7pc CF.
Mr Browne was once again the volume buyer from the stud with 20 rams, selecting 11 Merino rams and nine Poll Merino rams based on their nice, bright, soft white wool and with body length at an average of $915.
They will be used over his 3500-head Merino ewe flock.
"The sheep always cut beautiful wool," he said.
Koolena Farm, Moora, purchased four Poll Merino and three Merino rams at an average of $743 and to a top of $800 three times, while GM Humphry & Co, Walebing, secured three Poll Merino and two Merino rams at an average of $840 and to a top of $1000 for a shedded Merino.
RJ & CM Hitchcock, Moora, bought four rams - three Poll Merino and one Merino - at an average of $900, while DE & SE Hall, Moora, bought two Merinos and one Poll Merino at an average of $800.
Next came the impressive line-up from Te Rakau, which sold 18 of the 29 rams offered under the hammer at an average of $842.
Prices for Te Rakau peaked at $1400 for the ram in pen four, which ironically was paid by Iain Nicholson.
Mr Nicholson said the ram, which had May SIL test results including 3.74 weaning weight, -0.51 EMA and -0.48 fat yield, would be used over some Finn F1 ewes that he had previously put Finn F1 rams over.
"I thought I'd buy a couple of Texels and try something different," he said.
Mr Nicholson bought a second Texel ram for $700.
The second-top price of $1200 was paid by Whitford Investments, Gingin, for the ram in pen two and was the buyer's only purchase.
SL & GL Smith, Wannamal, was the volume Texel buyer with seven rams at an average of $807 and to a top of $950.
David Hall, DE & SE Hall, Piawaning, bought five rams at an average of $720 and to a top of $800, making him the only buyer to purchase from both studs on the day after earlier buying three Boorabbin rams.
Mr Hall said he ran a combined prime lamb and fine wool Merino commercial flock at Piawaning, and would mate the older ewes to the Texel rams.
A regular buyer from both studs, Mr Hall said it was a happy coincidence for him that he could buy his sires in the one place on the one day.
The remainder of the Te Rakau rams were shared between DK and SJ Tipton, Hyden, who bought two at an average of $750, and SR Ennis, Bullsbrook, purchased one ram for $1100.
