THREE regular buyers paid $1600 top price apiece for four Aylesbury rams at the stud's 34th annual on-farm ram sale at Merredin recently.
Despite a difficult year in the Central Wheatbelt, the Last family - Richard, Maureen and Craig - yarded 46 Poll Merino and four horned Merino rams for the sale, matching the number offered last year.
This year's offering presented a good even line of large-framed, well-woolled, hardy Wheatbelt rams well up to the Last family's usual standard, Primaries auctioneer Jay Macdonald noted.
Across the offering the rams' fleece wool averaged 20.1 microns and showed good style.
The Lasts sold 49 of their rams, achieving the same clearance rate as last year, but with a $700 improvement in gross sale proceeds and a $14 lift in average price last week.
Thirteen regular buyers registered and came from as far away as Badgingarra and Ballidu, with others from Trayning, Nokaning, Nungarin, Mukinbudin and Merredin.
Consistent Aylesbury buyer Sam Teasdale, GR Teasdale, Badgingarra, took home two of the top-priced rams in his selection of five at an average price of $1340.
Gavin Auld, EB & EC Auld, Merredin, who paid $2100 for the top Aylesbury ram last year, paid $500 less for one of the top-priced rams last week and the fourth went to another repeat buyer Peter Sutherland, PWG Sutherland, Merredin.
Both Mr Auld and Mr Sutherland purchased second rams at $1500 each.
Gordon Jones, GE & JV Jones, Mukinbudin, was the volume buyer of the sale, taking home 10 rams to a top of $1400 twice at an average price of $1170.
Two buyers each bought solid lines of eight rams.
PW & JF Craft, Trayning, included one at $1500 in their line of eight at an average of $787.
Repeat buyers, the Giles family, Neening Valley, Merredin, had two at $1500 in their line of eight at an average of $1163.
Azalea & Co, Nungarin, purchased five rams to a top of $1200 at an average of $840.
KL & DJ Southcott, Merredin, took home a 102 kilogram ram with stylish white wool for $1300 and D & M Hood & Sons, Ballidu, had a similar ram at $1300 among their selection of three at an average of $900.
Primaries' Merredin representatives Keith Reiger said the sale was a good result for buyers and the stud principals in a difficult year.
Members of the Last family said they were pleased with the sale and the consistency of the wool displayed on their rams.
The benefit of Aylesbury's past sire purchases was showing through, they said.
