IT was not only in the sale pens at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale at Katanning last week where WA Poll Merino sires were making an impression on buyers, there were also a few private sales negotiated to local studs.
The most significant of these was the sale of an upstanding, young Poll Merino sire on Friday afternoon from the Pickering family’s Pyramid Poll stud, Cascade, for $25,000, which set a new record price for the stud.
The buyer of the ram was the Blight family, Seymour Park stud, Highbury, with a semen share going to Colin Boughen, Kamora Park stud, Karoonda, South Australia.
The impressive two-tooth sire was originally pencilled in to be a stud reserve, but when Pyramid Poll stud principal Scott Pickering received the offer on the ram he couldn’t knock it back.
The ram, is by East Mundalla 52, which was purchased privately in 2016 for $30,000 by the Pyramid Poll stud.
It has wool figures of 20.8 micron, 2.6 SD, 12.5 CV and 99.8 per cent comfort factor and weighed 107kg at the beginning of July, while it has Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 22 ycfw, -0.2 yfat, -0.6 yemd, 3.9 ywt, 0.0 yfd and an MP+ index of 144.
Seymour Park stud principal Clinton Blight said the ram’s Pyramid Poll and East Mundalla breeding introduced new bloodlines to their stud and had continued to impress since first seeing the ram earlier in the year.
“I first saw him at Ashley Lock’s open day, then again at Long Wool Day and he just keeps getting better and better,” Mr Blight said.
“He is a well-balanced ram with a soft muzzle and magnificent white crimpy wool that will handle plenty of weather on it.
“We have never used Pyramid Poll or East Mundalla in our breeding, but they are proven and I have seen plenty of their offspring around the place.”
A $10,000 offer as the Expo was wrapping up on Friday from Mianelup stud principal Elliot Richardson, Gnowangerup, was enough to secure the services of an impressive Poll Merino stud reserve from the Garnett family’s Willemenup stud, Gnowangerup.
The syndicate mated ram, tag 2045, carried a pedigree that goes back to Majestic 492 and displayed tests of 18.0 micron, 2.9 SD, 16.1 CV, 80.2pc yield and 99.9pc comfort factor.
Mr Richardson said he first saw the ram at the Narrogin Long Wool Day and decided to make an offer.
“There isn’t a lot wrong with him,” Mr Richardson said.
“He is a well-balanced ram with good feet and legs, beautiful wool, soft muzzle and pure poll and I think he will go well over a group of Mianelup ewes.”
Rounding out the studs to sell a ram privately at the event was the Mullan family’s Eastville Park stud, Wickepin, which sold a two-tooth, March shorn Poll Merino ram to Fred Leo, Leovale stud, Lake Grace, for $7000.
The ram is sired by East Mundalla 81, which was the $23,000 top-priced ram at the 2016 Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale when it was purchased by the Eastville Park stud, in-conjunction with the Wiringa Park stud, Nyabing, Anglesey stud, Gnowangerup and the Hickey family, Narembeen, which purchased semen shares.
It has current wool figures of 20.1 micron, 3.2 SD and 99.5pc CF and was initially in line to be a stud reserve at Eastville Park.
Mr Leo said he purchased the ram on the advice of stud classer Mitchell Crosby, Landmark Breeding.
“Mitch singled him out because of his nice, bright, stylish and crimpy wool,” Mr Leo said.
“He also has a good frame and still has his lambs teeth.”
Mr Leo said he had used Eastville Park genetics in the past with good results, having last bought a ram from the Mullan family about four years ago.