DESPITE facing a fast-finishing season in the North Midlands area, buyers at the Sutherland family's Arra-dale Merino and Poll Merino and Sandown Poll Dorset and White Suffolk sale at Carnamah recently were full of enthusiasm in their bidding, pushing prices to a top of $3600 for a Poll Merino sire.
With a quality line-up of 178 rams representing three breeds in the shed, buyers were spoilt for choice and with the current solid sheep and wool markets, they showed they were prepared to pay for the rams they really wanted.
With solid bidding throughout, especially on the Merino and Poll Merino offering, the combined Landmark and Elders auctioneering team, led by Landmark auctioneer Michael Altus, cleared 87 per cent or 155 head for a gross of $240,950 and an average of $1555 across all descriptions.
This was back $80 on the average compared to last year's sale where the family cleared all 178 rams offered for an average of $1635.
Landmark North Midlands representative Tom Page said overall he was very happy with the sale result and pleased with the outcome for the Sutherland family given the seasonal conditions in the northern region.
"The positive sale result for the Sutherland family was driven by strong support from return buyers plus a few new buyers," Mr Page said.
"The rams really sell themselves.
"They once again presented very well and are a credit to the Sutherland family's breeding program and the buyers responded accordingly.
"In the Merino side buyers were strong in their bidding resulting in a near 100pc clearance and strong prices, demonstrating they still have confidence in the wool industry despite the volatility which has occured in the wool market over the past two months.
"In terms of the Poll Dorsets and White Suffolks, the clearance was down compared to last year but a lot of that is to do with the dry season and growers getting rid of older ewes that are normally mated to these rams."
Arra-dale Merino and Poll Merino
The Merino and Poll Merino offering from the Sutherland family's Arra-dale stud kicked the sale off and got it off to a positive start.
Broken down the family offered 57 Poll Merino rams and sold them all to the sale's $3600 top price and an average of $1846, back $396 on last year's average of $2242 for 55 offered and sold.
In the Merino line-up 42 of the 45 rams offered, sold to a top of $3500 and an average of $1919, back $36 on last year's sale when 47 Merinos were offered and sold for an average of $1955.
Return buyers of a couple of years the Whybrow family, Whybrow Enterprises, Badgingarra, were a dominant force in the Merino and Poll Merino run, securing five Merinos averaging $2810 and six Polls for a $2900 average.
Ned Whybrow and granddaughter Anna weren't afraid to go all the way on the rams they wanted and this was certainly the case when a deep, square Poll sire went under the hammer in pen 29.
Mr Altus took an opening bid of $2000 on the stylish, long-stapled, white woolled ram and Mr Whybrow fought right to the end and eventually secured the ram at the sale's $3600 top price.
Mr Whybrow said they were chasing heavy cutting types and this ram was certainly that.
"He has a lot of wool on him and is structurally very sound," Mr Whybrow said.
The 102 kilogram ram, which carried Willemenup and Hurstdene bloodlines, had August wool tests of 17.8 micron and 99.8pc comfort factor along with carcase scans of 34mm eye muscle depth (EMD) and 3.6mm fat.
The Whybrows, who will mate 2000 ewes this year, 50pc to Merinos and 50pc to Poll Dorsets, started buying at Arra-dale when the Strath-Haddon stud dispersed.
Mr Whybrow said it made sense for them to look at Arra-dale because they had Strath-Haddon genetics in its flock and they are happy with their decision.
"The Arra-dale genetics have been good for us and have bred consistently well," he said.
Along with the top-priced Poll they also secured another Poll which weighed 105kg and measured 18.6 microns and 100pc CF in the wool.
The family's team of Merinos topped at $3000 twice for rams weighing 103kg and 110kg which had wool figures of 18.9 micron and 99.9pc CF and 19.1 and 99.9pc CF micron respectively.
The highest price paid for a Merino ram was a $3500 paid by return buyer of five years Glenn Tapscott, GJ & TA Tapscott, Morawa, for a stretchy sire carrying Wanganella bloodlines.
The 114kg ram had scan figures of 37mm EMD and 3.6mm fat to go with wool tests of 18.9 micron and 99.8pc CF.
Mr Tapscott said it was a big, solid, square ram with a lot of wool.
Along with the top-priced Merino sire Mr Tapscott purchased another two Merinos at $3200 and $2750 to add to the family's sire battery which will be joined to between 1500 and 1600 ewes this year.
Return buyer Broad Farming Co, Mingenew, may not have secured any of the top priced rams this year but they still had a major impact on the result, particularly the Poll run.
The operation purchased seven Polls to a top of $2700 and an average of $2086.
Other strong supporters of just Poll sires were new buyer Black Arrow Ag, Badgingarra, purchasing six Polls for a $1617 average while Trevose Farm, Carnamah, averaged $1975 across a team of four Polls and PR Camerer, Moonyoonooka, finished with seven Polls at a $1500 average.
In the Merino run it was C & J McDonald, Carnamah and DC & RL Spencer, Perenjori, which were strong at the top end and had a strong influence on the sale.
The McDonalds purchased five to a top of $2600 three times and an average of $2460, while the Spencers secured six to a $2500 top and a $1875 average.
There were two major buyers who showed no preference to either horned or polled sires when purchasing and both secured nine rams each.
The Sudlow family, T & L Sudlow, Northampton, purchased six Merinos averaging $1133 and three Polls for a $1367 average, while Finiterre Farm, Perenjori, averaged $1600 across six Merinos and $1033 across three Polls.
Sandown Poll Dorset & White Suffolk
In this section of the sale the Sutherland family offered 46 Poll Dorsets and 30 White Suffolks and the drier season in the area certainly had an effect on the clearance rate.
By the end of the run 31 Poll Dorsets had been sold to a top of $1700 and an average of $1003 while 25 White Suffolks found new homes at an average of $960.
This meant the Poll Dorset average was up $33 on last year, while the White Suffolk average was back $94.
The top price in the section was $1700 paid by Vernlea Grazing, Coomberdale, for a long-bodied 116kg sire with scans of 43mm EMD and 5.4mm fat.
The upstanding ram has LambPlan figures of 0.45 BWT, 9.0 WWT, 14.8 PWWT, -0.4 PFAT, 1.8 PEMD and a CarcasePlus index of 194.6.
The Coomberdale operation also purchased another Poll Dorset sire at $800.
Also buying at the top end of the Poll Dorset run was return buyer Matt Taylor, Taylor Shiralee, Badgingarra, who is looking at mating 500 ewes to Poll Dorset sires this season.
Mr Taylor got his buying done early, securing four sires from the first eight offered at an average of $1250.
He paid to a top of $1400 for a 120kg sire with a CarcasePlus index of 189.9.
Other strong supporters of the Poll Dorset offering were Waltons Patrecia Downs, Carnamah, which purchased six at an average of $883 and GraMal Nominees, Badgingarra, averaged $1060 across a team of five.
The top price for a White Suffolk sire was $1400 paid by AM McCuish & Sons, Coomberdale.
The McCuishs paid the value for a 105kg sire with scans of 39.5mm EMD and 5.4mm fat.
Along with the top price White Suffolk they also purchased two White Suffolks both at $1200.
Mingenew operation VR & BJ Elsegood also wasn't afraid to bid up in the White Suffolk offering, purchasing three at an average of $1167.
It paid to a top of $1300 for a 106kg sire with scans of 43mm EMD and 5.3mm fat.
There were two other buyers to buy more than two White Suffolk rams - GA & PA Martin & Son, Badgingarra, averaged $950 across a team of four to go with a team of three Poll Dorsets averaging $833 while RA & D Page, Pingelly, purchased five at a $900 average.
