THE strength of Coromandel Poll Merino stud's long running and hugely successful sire Sir Thomas ET2 was proven yet again at last week's on-property ram sale, with many of the top-priced rams carrying the tried and tested patriarch's genes.
Landmark auctioneer Mark Warren struggled to be heard as the sale kicked off, with gale force winds and heavy rain beating down on the Gairdner farm's shearing shed.
But the intermittent inclement weather soon cleared and the sale's top-priced ram - sired by Sir Thomas - was soon knocked down in lot two for $2700 ($650 more than last year's top price).
In the end it was last year's top price buyer Reuben Smith, Warrego Farms, Lake Grace, flanked by his long-time school friend and wool buying confidant Justin Haylock, Westcoast Wools, Albany, who bagged the big ram and helped stud principals Michael Campbell and Gabrielle McMullen to sell 74 of the 79 lots under the hammer for $99,550 - pushing this year's average to $1345 which was an impressive $326 higher than last season's result.
The ram measured 18.8 micron, a 73 per cent yield, 38mm EMD and weighed 99.5 kilograms.
Keetlen Valley Poll Merino stud principal Keith Hams, KJ & HD Hams, Newdegate, was the unsuccessful bidder on the very popular ram which attracted plenty of attention from potential buyers keen to get a closer look at the sheep's soft well-nourished fleece.
Like many of the other contenders in the shed, Mr Smith (who was buying without the help of his father Terry for the first time) said he targeted the youngster because he loved the way its soft wool handled and opened at a touch.
He also picked up the sale's second top-priced sire which stood in lot seven for $2600.
It had an 18.7 micron measurement, 61.4pc yield, 42mm EMD and weighed 106.5kg on sale day.
The two rams joined three others on the back of Mr Smith's ute to round out his day's buying for an average of $2230.
His family joins 1300 Coromandel blood Poll Merino ewes each season and has been a client of the stud for 18 years.
"The style of wool is what initially attracted dad to the stud," Mr Smith said.
"The five rams bought this year are all very similar in the wool - very well-nourished and white.
"We like to stay below 20 when it comes to the micron of our rams and our ewe flock averages about 19."
Mr Smith said he and his father used to lean on some very fine wools when it came to ram buying but now the ewe flock has met its micron target the pair are keen to seek out rams to help boost the yield and overall fleece cut of the farm's flock.
"I definitely had an eye for more cut this year and looked for higher yielding rams when it came to my buying," he said.
Mr Smith also said the farm was well rewarded for its recent August/September shearing and took confidence into the sale which resulted in some higher-end spending.
There were lots of like-minded buyers targeting higher yielding sheep throughout the shed but with plenty of quality rams on offer there was still plenty to choose from.
The two $2500 third top-priced rams sold to Jared White, White Family Trust, Tambellup and brothers Brad and Glenn Peacock, EM Peacock & Co, Gairdner, who also turned out to be the overwhelming volume buyers of the day with 11 for an average of $1473.
Mr White also bought one other from the top end of the catalogue for $2400.
Other buyers included IJ & A Higgins, Rocky Gully and KA Bunce & Co, Arthur River, who both purchased eight sires while KJ & LM Barrett, Katanning and JM & JL Iffla, Bremer Bay, secured six.
It was the first time Mr Warren had sold the Coromandel line-up and had seen the lofty Poll Merinos up close.
"The first 10 rams showed great size with excellent wool quality and good length of body," he said.
"The remainder of the line-up was also very even and showed some good quality soft wool and solid body weights."
Mr Warren said the seasonal trend is for heavier bodyweights, greater yields and even better nourishment throughout most Merino and Poll Merino sales to date.
Mr Campbell said alongside Sir Thomas ET2, others in the sale catalogue had a genetic lineage that included Glenlea Park 739 - an outstanding ram that is breeding very well for Coromandel.
"It's always rewarding to see strong support from our long-term clients, they are the backbone of our sale," he said.
"We had at least three new clients this year including a local who has just started to buy in some ewes and is getting into breeding commercial Merinos.
"We're very pleased with the growth and finishing of the line-up which has been mostly paddock reared and on grass for the last six weeks."
