IT was the first ram offered by Elders auctioneer Dennis Roberts, which topped the catalogue of 200 Poll Merino rams, offered on-property by the Garnett family, Willemenup, Gnowangerup, last week.
Addressing many of the eventual 61 potential buyers who registered for the sale and standing over that first ram along with his son Collyn, Dick Garnett announced the proceeds of the ram would be donated by the stud to the campaign for the endorsed Liberal candidate for the Federal seat of O'Connor, Rick Wilson.
Dennis Roberts went on to eventually knock the ram down at $6800, the slight twist to the outcome being the buyer was Tier 3 rail champion, Bill Cowan, Crichton Vale Merino and Poll Merino stud, Mount Walker.
Mr Cowan said he was impressed with the ram's wool test figures and that it had good constitution and had been recommended by his stud classer, Ken Littlejohn.
The recent test figures were 18.4 micron, 3 SD, 16.1 CV, 99.7 per cent CF and current bodyweight 103 kgs with 36 EMA and 4 fat.
Mr Cowan has previously bought stud sires from Willemenup for use in his Poll flock, based on ewes purchased from the Millston stud dispersal.
The losing bidder on this top ram was a regular buyer, Chris Squiers, Quairading, who went on to buy the second in the team at $4600.
The losing bidder on that ram was the father-son combination of Alan and Nigel Gelmi, Quairading, who went on to buy the third in the team at $2300.
Two other rams early in the catalogue both went at more than $3000 to Heal Partners, Three Springs, one at $3800, the other at $3200.
The overall sale result of the Poll Merino offering saw 187 of the 200 offered sell to average $1294, up by $50 on last year's dramatic jump the year before.
When you put up big numbers you are looking for volume buyers and this was again the case as in previous years.
The big volume buyer on the day was again Brant Dennis, Eticup Grazing Co, Broomehill who purchased 27 head, up to $1500.
Two other concerns each took home 14 head.
Second year buyer to the stud, Simon Hill, whose property is north of Gnowangerup, went up to $2000 twice and long-term clients, Brian Schilling and his wife Nolene and Brian's brother Paul, trading as Schilling Enterprises, Beverley, also went to $2000 in the 14 head they bought along with some others selected privately after the sale.
There were numerous others, some who have been buying from Willemenup for more than 20 years, who went home with around seven to 10 head each.
Jerramungup clients of more than 20 years, Trevor and Allyson Ross, bought 10 at up to $1700 while more locally, Ian Lawrie, JM & GA Lawrie, went to $3000 in the team of 10 he put together.
Brothers Richard and Steven Marshall, Katanning, were also buyers of 10 head and Grant Egerton-Warburton, Cranbrook, was back again purchasing 11 head by auction.
Three other clients each bought eight head - Steve and Natalie Thompson, Newdegate, Mark Tapscott, Tapscott Farming, Jerramungup and Sheldon Kowald, Capemont Farms, Katanning.
Another client to buy eight head from the sale, seven Poll Merinos and one of the Curlew Creek Poll Dorsets offered after the Poll Merinos, was Geoff Macinnes, Brookton, while long term Flat Rocks clients, the Green family, Allawah Grazing, with Brett Green doing the bidding, took home seven Poll Merinos at up to $2300.
Auctioneer Dennis Roberts opened the overall sale with an offering of eight pens of recently-shorn stud ewes and all were bought by fellow stud breeders.
The first three pens were 1.5-year-olds and against good competition all went to Iain Nicholson, New Norcia.
One line of 22 plus one, sold at $200 a head, the other two lines - 22 plus one and 23 plus one - sold at $195 and all will go into the breeding flock of Mr Nicholson's Boorabbin stud, Wannamal.
The five lines of mixed age ewes went to two other stud breeders yet to register their Poll Merino studs.
Michael Gray, High Valley stud, Tarin Rock, purchased a share in Collinsville Majestic genetics at last year's Adelaide Royal and this will be used over the two pens of ewes bought from the Willemenup sale, 19 plus one at $185 and 24 plus one at $200.
The buyer of the other three lines was local Richard House, Barloo stud, who bought one line of 24 plus one at $200, another of 24 plus one at $180 and finally one of 19 plus one at $170.
p Curlew Creek Poll Dorsets
At last year's sale, 15 Invermay Poll Dorset rams were offered for the first time, account the Lamont family, the breeding flock having since been purchased by the Garnett family with the stud name changed to Curlew Creek.
Following the Poll Merino offering, 39 2010-drop rams carrying the Curlew Creek prefix were offered with all selling to average a healthy $1040 average.
The top price of $1250 was paid by Nick Lockyer, Moree Grazing, Tambellup, two others also going to that buyer at $1200 each.
Another two also recorded $1200 with another two reaching $1150 - RT & JL Harris, Jerramungup and Ben Sutherland, Chinocup Holdings, Nyabing.
Three buyers took home five each - Michael Collins, Lavieville Grazing Co, Tambellup, Woodford Pastoral Co, Nyabing and a local anonymous buyer.
Good support also came from a number of other Tambellup prime lamb producers.
Commenting following the sale Collyn Garnett said with the Poll Merinos averaging just under $1300, it appeared buyers went away with what they wanted.
He also commented it was a good result, in his opinion, for the Curlew Creek Poll Dorsets and indications regarding private sales for both breeds looked very promising.
