THE 2016 Anglesey ram sale at Gnowangerup played out in much the same way as last year.
The buyers, $2600 top price and $1582 average were almost the same but the big differences were the incredibly good season that had the rams looking a picture of growth and nourished wools and the dominance of Poll rams compared with their Merino counterparts.
And like last year, just 16 buyers registered but this year it was noticeably the new younger generation who did the buying.
Top price buyers Roy Dolan and sons Clinton and Warren, Nyabing, were again a thorn in the side of many Poll buyers who were outbid as they collected more than a ute load for their 3500 Poll Merino breeding ewe flock.
Their top price ram had raw figures showing 21.8 microns, 3.2 standard deviation, 98.9 per cent comfort factor and 94 kilograms bodyweight.
Of the 14 rams they bought, 11 cost more than $2000 and it was only the late run of spring-drop youngsters that allowed them to get a few cheaper ones and average back their team to $2082.
This year studmaster Geoff Sheperdson put up an extra 20 rams and included were just 24 Merinos, half the number offered in 2015.
Only one Merino ram failed to sell under Landmark auctioneer Mark Warren's hammer and they returned a $1411 average.
This compared with the 120-ram Poll offering of which 98 sold for a $1616 average to give an overall $1582 average for 117 rams.
In 2015 112 rams sold for a $1583 average.
It was Anglesey's 29th annual sale and Mr Shepherdson paid tribute to the long association he has had with sheep classer Philip Russel who had been influential at the stud for almost 40 years and told salegoers he was pleased with how the rams presented.
He said he was particularly pleased with the depth of quality and for that reason he increased sale numbers.
"I know the season has helped but if you can't do it in a year like this you'll never do it," Mr Shepherdson said.
The extra rams gave a bigger selection but once the sale finished buyers were still keen to sort through the private selections.
The sale's $2500 top Merino ram price was paid by one of the stud's oldest clients Medlo Marketing, Gnowangerup, which bought four rams in total.
Peter Bradshaw, Tambellup, who has been a staunch and prominent horn ram buyer was not at the sale but left the selection and buying to son Casey and like his father he was active on the top sheep.
He paid up to $2400 for a Merino ram and bought six rams saying he still preferred horn sheep but conceded Anglesey's Polls were persuasive prompting him to include a few among his purchases.
Tim Beeck, Glenorchy Estate, Gnowangerup, was another Merino buyer who was happy to make a full transition to Polls saying they gave fewer problems in the paddock throughout the year.
He paid up to $2500 as well as $2400, $2300 (2) and $2000 for the top price spring drop Poll as he put together a six-ram team for his 2500-breeding ewe flock.
Paul Cunningham, Tambellup, bought 11 rams for up to $2300 to use in a 3000-head Merino flock saying there was plenty of competition on the big, heavy cutting style of sheep he was seeking.
Borden farmer Garry Peakall was at the sale with son Jaxon and bought nine Polls and said they was simplifying their sheep operation and phasing out their crossbred lamb component.
They sought big free-growing wool rams and paid up to $2500.
Hamish Milne, also from Borden, was at the auction with son Harry and they had a similar story about phasing out their crossbred lambs in favour of a pure Merino flock.
They bought 10 Polls looking for good safe sheep with gutsy, heavy cutting wools.
Unlike previous years when Mr Milne selected purely on visual traits, this year they put more emphasis on objective measurement to help in decision making and paid up to $2400.
Others to pay good money included JM & PA O'Neill, Ongerup, who spent up to $2400 and DL & FL Williamson, Cranbrook, also paid up to $2400.