THE Garnett family's Willemenup Poll Merino and Curlew Creek Poll Dorset on-property ram sale last week will be one of the biggest sales for the season given the number of rams offered and sold.
In a mathron two-breed, two-agent sale, 316 rams were sold from 359 offered for a gross of more than $400,000.
In the breakdown there were 180 Poll Merinos catalogued in the sale and by the end of the run 153 had sold under the hammer of Elders auctioneer Preston Clarke for an average of $1576, which was up $202 on last year's sale which averaged $1374 for 168 rams sold.
After a short break Landmark took charge of the selling rostrum and offered the catalogue of 179 Poll Dorset sires and with solid support 163 sold under the hammer for an average of $1033, down $47 on last year.
Poll Merino
A $202 leap in average prices was the high point of the Willemenup Poll Merino ram sale at Gnowangerup last week.
The increase was driven by established clients intent on buying only the best to send early prices well beyond last year's $3400 top many times.
This year prices peaked at $4500 paid by Graham Stutley and daughter Sarah, Gnowangerup, who had no intention for settling for anything other than their first choices.
Mr Stutley returned to Willemenup in 2015 after a long absence during which time he was sourcing sires from a neighbour.
"They were good rams and improved our flock but they had horns," Mr Stutley said.
"We wanted to go back to that ease of management so we came back here last year after a long break, but we missed out on our first choice rams because there were a lot of good ones later in the sale and we had a limit on how much we had to spend.
"It turned out we paid just as much but they were only our second picks."
Not to be disappointed this year he launched his bidding on lot five, a 19.8 micron son of Willemenup 111971, that also had wool figures showing 2.8 SD, 14 CV and a 99.8 per cent comfort factor coupled with a current 100 kilogram bodyweight.
The Stutley family also bought a second ram for $3000 to work as a syndicate over their maiden ewes.
The sale opened with a regulation March shorn son of Willemenup 130673 that fetched $4400 paid by local breeder Lachlan Lewis, Pallinup stud.
Mr Lewis came to the sale for a show of support and was surprised to see a ram that caught his eye at the Rabobank Katanning Show & Sale.
"I should have bought him then because he is so good in his structure and size," Mr Lewis said.
The ram had data showing 20.2 microns with 3.3 SD, 16.3 CV, 99.5pc CF and weighed 108kg.
Prices surged past the $4000-mark again when Sheldon Kowald, Capemont Farms, Katanning, swung into action to get lot 10 for $4100.
Sheldon and father Barry have been staunch Willemenup supporters for more than 40 years and bought 14 rams for a sheep and cropping enterprise they said had changed little over the years.
As passionate wool and Merino people they ran a sizeable flock and have made a significant annual investment to maintain it as one of the district's acknowledged top commercial flocks.
Last week they bought their team at a $2157 average.
JJ & AE Letter, Tambellup, paid $4100 for a W130298 son and spent $3400 to get a second ram.
PJ Tulloch, Corrigin, also paid $4000 for another son of W130673.
Other high prices were $3900 paid by Chris Squiers, Quairading, for yet another W130673 son; $3400 was paid by KLF & RE Steele, Pingrup, who also paid $3100 for a second ram.
Peter Morell, Beaufort River, also paid $3400 and the Dennis family, Eticup Grazing, Broomehill, went to a $3100 high as they put together a smaller than normal 11-ram team.
The early prices were stronger than usual inspired by current buoyant wool prices but it was offset by a slightly lower clearance rate than last year's result when 168 out of 186 rams sold under the hammer.
This year 180 were offered and 153 cleared under Elders auctioneer Preston Clarke's hammer.
Mr Clarke said the line-up was as good as the Garnett family had presented for quite some time.
Stud spokesman Collyn Garnet said despite the number of high prices clients could still find value buying and there was every reason to be confident in the wool market and red meat industry.
Sheep were returning good money in comparison with cropping and the current (economic) climate for sheep had never been better in his time in the sheep industry.
Buyers operated strongly at all levels but one of the key players in the lower price range was Cardiminup Grazing Co, which runs properties on the south coast and eastern Wheatbelt.
Mitchell Crosby from Landmark Breeding held a buying order for 20 rams and although a long-term client it was only the second year that Cardiminup's order was executed at auction.
Steve Thompson, Newdegate, was another familiar name on the buying register and took home nine rams from among the early lots and paid up to $2500.
Trevor and Allyson Ross, Jerramungup, paid up to $2600 (twice) and bought 10 for a $2060 average saying they were pleased with their average.
The couple run 2000 breeding ewes which are still classed by Ken Littlejohn.
Poll Dorset
The Curlew Creek Poll Dorset ram offering followed on from the Poll Merino run and the big offering did not disappoint buyers.
They had a selection of well-presented rams complemented by a full set of LambPlan data and for some buyers there was the convenience of being able to buy Merino and terminal sires on the same day.
Prices went to a $2500 high as Landmark Breeding representative Roy Addis bid to secure a single sire for commercial prime lamb breeder Creagh Brothers, Badgingarra, who wanted a structurally correct ram with good early growth and muscle figures to use in a nucleus flock that supplied their own needs.
The ram selected, by CC 140032, had a 222.37 CarcasePlus index and was +10 for weaning weight combined with a good +3.63 post weaning eye muscle depth.
It was a standout price in a strong sale that saw many buyers competitive in the $1500-$1800 price range.
Jeff Pyle & Co, Manypeaks, was the first to bid to $1800 when they bought the opening lot then paid the same amount again as they put together a group of three rams for the trip home.
Michael Reynolds, Winton Park Grazing, Tambellup, had also done his pre-sale homework and bid to $1800 for one of seven rams.
RJ & F Herbert, Tambellup; AW Lyneham & Son, Popanyinning; Lavieville Grazing Co, Tambellup; and Steve Angwin, Wagin, all matched the $1800 second top price.
Mr Angwin was one of the most active getting 15 rams in total to continue the buying tradition he started when Curlew Creek was formerly Hillcroft Farms.
He said they ran about 5000 breeding ewes on their north-east Wagin property including about 1700 joined to Poll Dorset rams.
This year they had already sent their first 400-head consignment to WAMMCO averaging 520 cents a kilogram for lambs that averaged 23.6kg and was due to send a second draft within a fortnight.
He selected sires with high early weight gain figures and despite paying some of the highest prices he was able to keep his average in check as demand weakened in the later stages of the sale.
Of the 179 head offered 153 were sold by Landmark auctioneer Chris Elliott to achieve an 85.5pc clearance and the $1033 average was down only marginally on the $1080 achieved last year.
The Poll Dorset offering followed the Willemenup Poll Merinos and at least half of the 64-strong buying register were there to buy terminal sires.
Some, like Paul and Christine Schilling and brother Brian and Noelene Schilling, who have their own farms at Beverley and Jelcobine respectively, came for the Poll Merinos and appreciated the convenience of also buying their terminal sires at a busy time of the year.
Paul and Christine bought eight Merinos and seven Poll Dorsets saying they were usually shearing at this time of the year and the chance to get both breeds saved them time when they were otherwise busy.
