IT was a total clearance and a very solid average of $1761 for the 149 Merino and Poll Merino rams offered by Landmark on behalf of the Sprigg family, East Strathglen stud, last Friday.
The end result saw the 120 Merino rams offered all sell to average $1834, up by $269 on last year when 107 of 116 were sold.
The Poll Merino offering saw all 29 catalogued sell to an average of $1464, up by $61 when 38 head of 42 offered sold to average $1403 last year.
This year there were 47 buyer registrations for the sale and of these 42 went home having bought some or a lot of East Strathglen genetics and five of these buyers including three fellow stud breeders were first time buyers to the stud.
In fact there were five studs that bid successfully on the day and one could say another 12 buyers using East Strathglen genetics to breed rams for their own use.
This will be the case for the buyers of the top-priced ram, the Kanny family, Wagga Wagga station in the Murchison who breed rams at their Northern Gully property for their station where they are building up numbers from the current flock of 3600 ewes along with running 1500 wethers at present.
Bidding on behalf of the family, Jason Kanny said it was the first time they had bought from East Strathglen and he was impressed with the line in the top run.
However it was the third ram to be offered which caught his eye and therefore he went to $10,500 to secure it.
The ram was a son of Junior 12 out of 796 and had a spring test of 21 micron, 3.0 SD, 14.3 CV and 99.4 per cent comfort factor.
The losing bidder on this ram was Jarrad Beech, JF & KJ Beech, Tenterden, who was at the sale with his father Norm, with both impressed with the line up and quality.
Some three lots later a son of Top Gun out of 62, also saw spirited bidding until Landmark auctioneer Neil Brindley knocked it down to a regular buyer over many years, Norman Herbert, Lake Clear View stud, Tambellup, for $9000.
Mr Herbert breeds rams for his own use as well as selling privately and his ram had a spring test of 19.6 micron, 2.8 SD, 14.3 CV and 99.3pc CF, with the losing bidder being a very staunch East Strathglen client, Gerald Saunders, A Saunders & Co, Narrogin, who bought four up to $3250.
Another stud breeder to make a purchase for the first time was Wes Lavender, who with his wife Briana owns the Sunny Valley stud, Williams.
He is well aware of the East Strathglen genetics, having a ram of this breeding in the stud flock when they purchased it from the Jackson family at Kojonup.
Mr Lavender's selection was the second ram offered and he paid the third top price of the sale at $6500 to secure it.
The losing bidder on this ram as well as the first in the team was Murray and Rodney Ford, MM & AK Ford, Williams, who breed their own rams and later in the catalogue went on to purchase one at $5000.
Another regular buyer was Lindsay Box who runs the Dowellen Poll Merino stud at Northampton with his parents Ron and Anne.
This year Lindsay went home with two Polls at $2500 and $2000.
The buyer of the top-priced Poll Merino was a first time buyer to East Strathglen and well known stud breeder Mervyn Hardie who, with his wife Carol, recently registered the Hillside stud.
He went to $2750 for one of his choice.
Another first time buyer and one from the Eastern States was John Jamieson, Edithvale stud, Finley, New South Wales, who bought three rams up to $2000 purchased on behalf of the stud by Drew Chapman, Hinesville stud, Delegate, NSW.
Others to buy in the higher-priced range included another regular client, George Pearce, Orrvale Grazing Co, Kojonup, who bought a Merino at $4000, Don and Neil Jackson, DJ & ND Jackson & Son, also of Kojonup, two up to $2500, near neighbour and another regular, Daniel Patterson, Redwood Enterprises Pty Ltd, two up to $3750 and Mark Becker, Glenlowie Farms Woodanilling, who bought five up to $3000.
As usual, there was a good number of volume buyers topped again by another near neighbour in O'Keeffe Farming with David O'Keeffe buying 13 up to $2750, Rob & Lisa Morey, Marriville Downs, Frankland, were buyers of 12 up to $2250, while another 12 up to $2750 for a Merino and $2400 for a Poll went to regular buyer Kennedy Hogg, GB & NK Hogg & Son, Williams.
Also buying a dozen was Phil Horrocks, PL & DM Horrocks, Cranbrook.
Bill Morey WE & GE Morey, Kojonup, went home having purchased 10, all at $2000 or more with six of them at $2500, and two other buyers each bought nine.
Dale Douglas, Ian Douglas & Co, Woodanilling, was back again and went to $2500 for one of his nine head and near neighbour to the Spriggs, Mario Christinelli, Christinelli Grazing Co, went to $2000 for three of his nine head.
Prior to the start of the ram sale, four lines of surplus stud ewes were offered with the second pen of 25 topping the offering at $85 paid by Gerald Saunders, A Saunders & Co Narrogin, buyers of the first pen of 18 at $75.
The other two pens were bought by Ben Fairclough on behalf of his brother Brendon, BJ Fairclough, Quairading, with both pens, one of 25, the other of 22 selling at $70 a head.
Later in the ram sale Ben Fairclough went on to buy two rams for his brother at $2500 and $2600.
The 90 head of ewes offered sold to average $76.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Rohan Sprigg said they were delighted to see so many clients returning year after year and that the sale again had attracted some first time buyers and under bidders.
