THERE are not many, if any, wool growing studs further south than Denvale Dohne stud at Denbarker and the emphasis the owners have placed on high rainfall wool was patently obvious at the stud's sale last week.
It was a Wellington boots affair for outsiders but locals ignored the wet conditions and bid to a $1450 top three times in a sale that had prices in buyers' favour.
It was a wet and soggy line-up but it was clear the rams had stood up faultlessly to the enormous amount of rain this year and buyers were encouraged rather than deterred by what they saw.
Landmark auctioneer Charlie Staite put the sale into action and received his first $1450 top price for lot five paid by Ashton Hood, Kojoneerup South, as part of a three ram team with others bought for $1250 and $850.
Ashton's father John was one of three buyers last year who paid the sale's top price and have established themselves as annual buyers since they came to the stud six years ago.
They run about 2500 ewes with half joined to Dohnes to breed their own replacement ewes which are then joined to White Suffolks.
Their top price ram had a 155 Dohne index and high breeding values of 0.7 YFAT, 6.0 YWT and 2.0 EMD.
The next two $1450 prices came for the second and third last rams in the catalogue and again both were high indexing rams.
Ray and Kylie Willliams, Mt Barker, paid $1450 for one that was one of three twin born rams they bought.
Their top price ram, by a Koobelup sire, had a 168 Dohne index strongly influenced by a high 5.0 WWT, 2.4 EMD and 7.6 YWT breeding values.
The couple were one of the stud's earliest clients with their relationship with stud principals Greg, Linda, Robert and Pam Sounness going back to childhood years.
It was the stud's 12th annual sale and they have been supporters at all of them after finding Dohnes were an easy maintenance sheep that gave the ability to turn off a good lamb within a year.
"We find they are a good balance of carcases and wool and they have more multiple births," Ms Willliams said.
The final buyer to pay the $1450 top was Anderson Dufty who farms at Mt Barrow, east of Mt Barker.
The former wool grower then builder had leased out his property for about 25 years retuning to farming only in recent years.
He bought his first Denvale rams last year and returned last week to buy four more.
After buying in a mob of Merino ewes he said he was attracted to Dohnes because they appeared to be a versatile sheep and he wanted a breed that required minimal attention but could produce maximum return for effort.
He planned to turn off the wethers as lambs and breed a self-replacing ewe flock that had the advantage of being polled.
Of the 50 rams offered 39 sold under the hammer while another five rams were cleared after the sale.
The sale produced a $1013 average, down from $1103 last year but it was a result that didn't disappoint stud spokesman Greg Sounness.
"We tend to find our clients have a biennial buying pattern and this year they all wanted small numbers," he said
"It is what our market is."
Importantly all the usual clients were in attendance including Ed Rogister, Lower King, bought four rams for up to $1200; AA King & Co, Denmark, purchased two rams for $1350 and $1250; and Woogenellup Estate, Mt Barker, paid up to $1350 for one of three rams.
MJ O'Halloran, Cranbrook, was the day's biggest volume buyer taking six rams that included many of the higher prices including the team leader for $1350.
