IN just the fifth year the Norrish family has offered Poll Merinos at their annual Angenup on-property sale, it was the first ram offered from their team of 41 Poll Merinos which topped the sale on Monday at $5400.
This was the stud's 33rd annual on-property sale with 190 Merino and Poll Merino rams penned with all selling to average $1272, up by $13 on last year when 200 rams were offered and sold.
Penned 10th in the overall line-up, the Poll, which goes back a couple of generations to Willemenup Winston, has test figures of -3.1 micron deviation (the average micron of the sale team being 17.9), 3.1 SD, 19 CV, 99.9 per cent CF, 113pc GFW and a current bodyweight of 100kg.
Elders auctioneer Dennis Roberts received spirited bidding when offering the ram but finally it came down to just two stud breeders to fight it out and at $5400, Russell McKay, Elders stud stock, who was bidding on behalf of Joe Hughes, Ulinga stud, Esperance, shook his head the wrong way and Dennis Roberts knocked the ram down to Brian and Shirley Westlake, Dabrappy stud, Calingiri.
Mr Westlake, who bought his first Poll from Angenup two years ago, said he was attracted to this ram's big plain body with free-growing crimpy wool.
Angenup, studmasters Rod, Gavin and Paul Norrish were obviously very pleased to see a Poll top the sale, this following on from the recent Rabobank Katanning stud sale when one of their full wool four-tooth Polls topped that sale selling at $14,000 to the Panizza family's Trevino stud, Southern Cross.
The first four Polls offered on Monday grossed $13,800, the second going at $3400 to Kim and Kay Halbert, Halbert Partners, Arawa stud, Eneabba.
The Halberts who are first time buyers to Angenup, are turning to Poll Merinos for their own use and private selections and they were assisted at the sale by their stud classer, Ken Littlejohn.
The third Poll sold for $3000 to Melchiorre Farms, Narrogin, buyers of 22 rams from the sale, mainly from both sections of the catalogue which included Merinos also at up to $3000.
The last of the first four Polls was bought by Russell McKay, Elders stud stock, on behalf of the Ulinga stud for $2000.
Other higher prices for Polls spread through the catalogue saw another bought for stud breeding when Brett Doncon, Eastville stud, Wickepin, went to $3000; another selling at $3300 to WB & BM Schulz, Williams; two were bought at up to $1900 by first-time buyers to Angenup, TW & FL Mead, Boyup Brook and regular local clients Dennis and Simon Zacher took home four at up to $1800 for two.
