WHERE quite often it can be windy and wet come sale day at East Mundalla, south of the Tarin Rock wheatbin, this year was different for the Gooding and Robinson families and their clients with it being a warm sunny sale day recently.
But given how the season has unfolded, all in the shed would have preferred it to be raining over the entire agricultural region.
The season as it is, and with most sales so far, has had an effect on values and clearances as no doubt the final summaries will indicate.
In light of this, the overall number of East Mundalla Merino and Poll Merino rams was reduced to 200 head this year and of these 184 head sold at auction last week for an average of $2171, which was back $402 on last year's sale average.
In last year's sale the stud offered and sold 215 rams for an average of $2573.
Elders auctioneer Nathan King opened the offering with a run of 50 Poll Merinos, with the first knocked down at $11,000 to return buyer Derek Hooper, stud principal of the Wanjalonar Merino and Poll Merino studs, Narembeen.
The losing bidder on the ram was Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client.
But it was the ram offered in the next pen which attracted buyers and went on to be the top-priced ram of the sale when another return stud breeder, Jason Griffiths, Canowie Fields stud, Gairdner, bid to $15,750 to secure his first choice.
The son of White River 546 was a June drop and one of the heaviest rams in the shed with a current bodyweight of 129 kilograms.
Its figures also impressed with wool figures of 21.4 micron, 3.7 SD, 17.4 CV, 98.4 per cent comfort factor and scans of 34.5mm eye muscle depth and 5.6mm fat.
Mr Griffiths runs a 3000 head Merino ewe flock and offers about 50 to 60 rams at his annual on-property sale.
Some three lots later the second highest price for a Poll Merino came at $11,500 when this was paid by Adrian Webster, Kylie Poll Merino stud, Cuballing.
Six lots later Mr Webster secured another Poll Merino sire at $7600.
The losing bidder on both the second and third top-priced Poll rams was regular East Mundalla buyer Darren Kirby, Dudinin, who eventually secured a Poll sire at $6600.
Two other Poll rams both sold at $6000 and another went at $5200 and come the end of the Poll Merino offering 117 of the 125 head offered over three runs had sold at auction for an average of $2345, which was back $312 on last year's Poll average of $2657 when 129 Poll were offered and sold.
Following the first 50 Polls came a run of 50 Merinos and it was the sixth penned which topped this section of the offering when Mr Hooper went to $4400 to secure a new sire for his Wanjalonar Merino stud run alongside his Poll stud.
The June-drop ram, which was from a Jonty syndicate mating, was again one of the heaviest in the offering at 118kg.
It had wool figures of 20.7 micron, 3.7 SD, 18.2 CV and 98.8pc CF and scans of 38.3mm EMD and 5.6mm fat.
The second top price in the Merino offering was $4200 and this was paid for one of seven head, knocked down to young Rohan Mead, AK & AJ Mead, whose family are long term East Mundalla clients from Ravensthorpe.
Of the 75 Merino rams offered over two runs, 67 sold at auction for an average of $1869.
In comparison in last year's sale the stud offered and sold 86 Merino rams at an average of $2447.
Buyers registering for the sale totalled 46 and of these 36 were successful bidders, some bidding only on Polls, some only on Merinos and others buying on those they wanted regardless of horn or no horn.
The volume buyer on the day was Ian Lloyd, IF & SJ Lloyd, Newdegate, with 17 head and paying to a top of $3000 in his selection of Poll Merinos and $2500 for his top Merino.
As with the Lloyds, there were a number of clients buying double digit teams and went home with 10 rams.
Dumbleyung client Jon Ward, Nippering Farming, paid to a high of $3100 for a Poll and up to $2800 in the Merino offering for his ute load of 10 head.
Another long term client, Michael Eva, Roseworthy Farming Pty Ltd, Brookton, went to $2700 in the Merino offering and up to $2500 twice for the three Polls in his group of 10 selected.
Back again from Newdegate, Wes Hall, EDL Farms, among his 10 head, paid up to $3200 in the Merino catalogue.
Operating only on Polls, Vance Nicholls, MJ & PA Nicholls, Lake King, also went home with 10 head and Landmark Lake Grace agent Gary Prater bought 12 Polls account AW Cameron and another eight up to $3000 went to RA McDonald & Co, Lake Grace.
Owen Grahame, Mallee Farms, West River, went to a top of $2700 for one of the nine Polls he selected.
Going home having only bought from the Merino offering, saw BB & B & MJ Smith secure eight up to $2800 and Lake Grace clients, MA & LM McDonald took home six Merinos up to $2600.
Representing East Mundalla, co-principal Daniel Gooding said that considering the very average year being experienced across the agricultural region he was very pleased with the continued support from so many long-term commercial clients, along with the interest from other widespread stud breeders.
Elders stud stock auctioneer Nathan King said it was a really good sale given the seasonal conditions which were definitely getting tougher for many with farming interests.
He said it was a credit to Merino people who continue to invest in the industry and before them at this sale was again a very even line-up of big framed and well-woolled Merino and Poll Merino rams from a stud which no doubt could be seen as one of the leading WA studs selling rams to a wide spread of WA clients also with sales this year to Eastern States and international interests.