AN opportunity to buy quality stud genetics was missed by breeders at the Perth Royal Show All Breeds Ram and Ewe Sale.
Despite a strong registration list and good crowd in the stands buyers were reluctant to raise their hands on the offering which saw both the clearance and average fall on last year's results.
By the end of the sale, selling agents Elders and Landmark had cleared 21 of the 41 rams offered under the hammer to a top of $14,000 for a Poll Dorset sire and an average of $3543 while all three White Suffolk ewes offered sold for a $1033 average.
In last year's sale, agents sold 28 from 46 rams offered at an average of $4054 and to a top of $11,000 and two of three White Suffolk ewes for a $950 average.
This meant in the ram section of the catalogue there were five less rams offered and seven less sold and the average was back $511.
Landmark auctioneer Tiny Holly said the sale once again saw support from regular buyers but they were selective in their buying.
"Buyers were very selective on type and figures when it came to their purchases," Mr Holly said.
"Overall the results were back on last year in terms of clearances and prices which was disappointing but it was good to see demand from the Eastern States at the top end of the sale.
"It was a very good presentation of quality rams once again from many regular vendors plus a handful of new ones, who are improving the quality of the rams that they are offering each year."
Elders prime lamb specialist Michael O'Neill said the final sale result was somewhat disappointing given the investment the studs go into breeding and presenting the rams and ewes in the sale.
"The final result wasn't a reflection of the sheep on offer but more a lack of buying support," Mr O'Neill said.
"It was a good line-up of ewes and rams which presented well and the offering featured an array of bloodlines so there was plenty to choose from.
"Despite the quality of the offering it appeared buyers were reluctant in their bidding and this may be a result of stud breeders being not keen to invest in new genetics given they are a bit unsure in terms of future flock ram sales due to the number of ewes that are leaving the system."
With a top run of Poll Dorset rams on offer and both local and Eastern States-buying interests, the breed again took the number one mantle securing the top price and also the top breed average.
Unlike the past three years where it has been a Poll Dorset sire bred by the Squiers family, Shirlee Downs and Dongadilling studs, Quairading, which has created plenty of interest pre-sale and in the selling ring, this year it was an upstanding ram from the Garnett family's Curlew Creek stud, Gnowangerup, that had people talking.
When the classy ram entered the ring midway through the sale in lot 25, buyers kicked into action.
After taking an opening bid of $5000 on the long-bodied, well-muscled ram, Mr Holly had his work cut out when a bidding war broke out on the ram.
With bids coming in thick and fast from a number of buyers, the price quickly rose and topped five figures.
In the end it was Laurie Fairclough, Stockdale stud, York, who fired in the last bid at $14,000 and announced he had just purchased the ram on behalf of Ian, Hazel and Corey Sutherland, Deloraine Downs stud, Coleraine, Victoria, who had left the show to catch a plane home.
Mr Sutherland said they had previously purchased from the Curlew Creek stud and they picked this ram out when inspecting the sale rams at the show.
"He is a good muscled ram, but more importantly he stands up correctly and is clean on the points," Mr Sutherland said.
"His figures were also another buying point for us, as the next generation is coming through they are looking more closely at these (figures).
"We think he is a ram who will certainly breed on in our stud."
The ram is sired by Curlew Creek 151626 and had LambPlan figures of 0.33 BWT, 9.9 WWT, 15.2 PWWT, 4.7 PEMD, -0.3 PFAT and a CarcasePlus index of 231.
SOUTH SUFFOLK
The South Suffolk breed led the sale and in this section regular sale vendors the Bingham family, Iveston stud, Williams, were joined by first time sellers the Simpson family, Pettison Park stud, Quairading.
The Iveston stud offered one ram and it found a new home when it sold to return stud buyers the Curtis family, Binnaburra stud, Kellerberrin.
The upstanding ram, which showed plenty of thickness and depth along with a tonne of length in the ring, attracted interest from a couple of buyers before it was knocked down at $3200 to the Curtis family.
The ram, which is by Iveston 1137-6, was sold with post weaning scan figures (December 2018) of 58 kilograms bodyweight, 27.8mm eye muscle depth (EMD) and 4.1mm fat.
In the showing prior to the sale, the ram was sashed the grand champion South Suffolk exhibit and champion South Suffolk ram.
The Pettison Park stud offered two rams, however both failed to sell under the hammer.
SUFFOLK
The next breed into the ring was the Suffolk breed and in this section of the sale two vendors offered three rams and two were headed for a new paddock when they sold under the hammer to a top of $2900 and an average of $2450.
Taking the $2900 top price honours in the Suffolk offering was the Phillipps family's Karinya stud, Boyup Brook, when it sold one of its two rams offered for this value.
The upstanding sire, which was sashed the champion Suffolk ram in the show, was purchased by first time Karinya buyers the Crombie family, Windsor Suffolk stud, Babakin.
Buyer Rohan Crombie said the ram they purchased was a good safe ram.
"He displays good length and depth and has an excellent topline as well," Mr Crombie said.
"He will be a new bloodline for our stud and we are looking forward to seeing what he will breed for us.
"We believe he is the type of ram that will help improve our Suffolk stud and the rams we are breeding."
The July 2018-drop ram is by Pamellen 150077 and had LambPlan figures of 0.56 BWT, 10.4 WWT, 15.6 PWWT, 0.5 PEMD, -0.3 PFAT and a CarcasePlus index of 186.
After offering in the sale for the first time last year the Mitsopoulos family, Kalinda stud, Boyanup, were back again as vendors this year and they offered and sold one ram for $2000 to the Esperance Farm Training Centre.
The ram, which is by Kalinda 160110, has LambPlan figures of 0.57 BWT, 8.9 WWT, 13.1 PWWT, 1.1 PEMD, 0.0 PFAT and a 180 CarcasePlus index.
WHITE SUFFOLK
This year four White Suffolk studs offered nine rams and three ewes in the sale and they achieved mixed results.
By the end of the run, four rams had been cleared under the hammer to a top of $3500 and an average of $2800, which was back $700 on last year and all three ewes had sold for an average of $1033, up $83 on last year.
Achieving the $3500 top price for the breed was the Hyde family's Kohat stud, Ongerup, when its sole offering was knocked down to first time Kohat buyer Alan Manton, Acadia stud, Yealering.
Mr Manton said the ram was a really well-balanced animal.
"I am really impressed with his overall body conformation," Mr Manton said.
"He is big, long upstanding ram with muscling in all the right spots.
"He also has good pigmentation and a true White Suffolk type."
The ram was by Bundarra Downs 122026 and it was sashed the British, Australasia and other breeds reserve champion ram in the interbreed judging.
It has LambPlan figures of 0.40 BWT, 12.9 WWT, 20.6 PWWT, 2.5 PEMD, -0.7 PFAT and a 233 CarcasePlus index.
Kohat also sold a ewe for $1000 to Brenton Addis, Yonga Downs stud, Gnowangerup.
The ewe, which is by Kohat 170129, has LambPlan figures of 0.29 BWT, 9.0 WWT, 14.3 PWWT, 1.9 PEMD, 0.4 PFAT and a 191 CarcasePlus index.
Max Whyte and Gail Cremasco's Brimfield stud, Kendenup, offered four rams in the run and cleared one under the hammer for $3000, the second best price in the offering.
The Brimfield ram which sold was purchased by repeat buyer AT & JI Watterson & Son, Tenterden.
The ram is a son of Glengarry 155090 and has figures of 0.5 BWT, 10.9 WWT, 16.8 PWWT, 1.0 PEMD, -0.8 PFAT and a CarcasePlus index of 198.5.
The Iveston stud, Williams, offered two rams and both sold for an average of $2350.
The stud's first ram, which was by Iveston 160328, sold for $2700 to the Manton family's Acadia stud.
The well-muscled, upstanding sire has LambPlan figures of 0.51 BWT, 11.5 WWT, 18.0 PWWT, 2.0 PEMD, -0.1 PFAT and a 213 CarcasePlus index.
The stud's second ram was knocked down at $2000 to Tanya Hill, Tanalan stud, Esperance.
This ram was sired by Bundara Downs 79821 and has a CarcasePlus index of 211.7 along with figures of 18.9 for PWWT and 1.2 for PEMD.
Kiara College's Kiara stud offered two rams and two ewes in the sale however unfortunately only its two ewes sold.
The first of its ewes, which was by Somerset 130153 and has a CarcasePlus index of 208, sold for $1300 to Elders prime lamb specialist Michael O'Neill.
Its second ewe made $800 when it was knocked down to the Fairclough family, Stockdale stud, York.
This ewe was by Kiara 160078 and has a CarcasePlus index of 196.
POLL DORSET
The Poll Dorset breed was the last to sell and it was also the breed with the biggest number of rams on offer.
In the run seven vendors offered 26 rams and when Mr Holly knocked down the last Poll Dorset ram into the ring, 14 had been cleared under the hammer at an average of $3936, which was the best average for any breed in the sale.
While it was the best breed average in the sale, the breed's average was still back $308 on last year.
In comparison in last year's sale six studs offered 27 rams and sold 18 for a $4244 average.
The Garnett family's Curlew Creek stud led the way for the breed selling the sale topping $14,000 ram, as previously mentioned.
Along with selling the sale-topping ram the Curlew Creek stud sold a second ram in the sale for $3000 to Bradscott Pty Ltd, Narrogin.
The ram, which won the EBV class in the Poll Dorset judging, is sired by Curlew Creek 151626 and has LambPlan figures of 0.24 BWT, 8.0 WWT, 13.1 PWWT, 5.2 PEMD, 0.0 PFAT and a CarcasePlus index of 224.
The $5600 second top price in the sale was also set in the Poll Dorset run when the Shirlee Downs stud, Quairading, sold a ram at this value.
Securing the Shirlee Downs ram, which was sashed the reserve champion Poll Dorset ram in the judging the day before, was the Hathaway family, Longdale stud, Brookton, who bid with the assistance of Landmark Brookton/Pingelly agent Chris Turton.
Ray Hathaway said they were taken by the ram when they inspected the stud's show line-up at its on-property ram sale last month.
"We believe he was the best ram in the stud's offering," Mr Hathaway said.
"He is good on his feet and legs, he plenty of length of body and shows good muscling throughout."
The ram is by Shirlee Downs 160118 and has LambPlan figures of 0.47 BWT, 9.9 WWT, 15.0 PWWT, 1.5 PEMD, -1.0 PFAT and a CarcasePlus index of 197.
The next best price in the Shirlee Downs run was $3600 paid by Hillroy Farms Pty Ltd, Brookton, when Westcoast Wool & Livestock representative Stephen Keatley bid on its behalf.
This ram was also sired by Shirlee Downs 160118 and it had a CarcasePlus index of 182.
Also bidding on the Shirlee Downs' rams was Chris Patmore, Riverbend stud, Eneabba, who paid $3400 for a son of Hillden 160120 with a CarcasePlus index of 178.
By the end of the Shirlee Downs' run the stud had cleared four of its eight rams offered under the hammer for an average of $3800.
The third top price of the sale and the Poll Dorset run was $4000 for a ram from the Levett family's Tipperary stud, Walkaway, which had two rams on offer.
Buying the Tipperary ram at this value were the Pearce and Hallett families, Orrvale stud, Kojonup, who bid with the assistance of Landmark Kojonup agent Troy Hornby.
Felicity Hallett said it was the first time they had purchased a ram from Tipperary and they liked the ram as it was well-balanced across the board.
"He is very good structurally and shows plenty of muscling throughout," Ms Hallett said.
"He is just a really safe and sound ram."
The ram is a son of Tipperary 160290 and it has LambPlan figures of 0.39 BWT, 9.4 WWT, 14.2 PWWT, 2.7 PEMD, -0.3 PFAT and a CarcasePlus index of 204.
The Squiers family's Dongadilling stud, Quairading, this year offered six rams and sold four under the hammer for an average of $2975.
The top price in the Dongadilling offering was $3500 paid by Rockbridge Holdings Pty Ltd, Upper Warren, for a son of Dongadilling 160018.
The ram has LambPlan figures of 0.39 BWT, 9.9 WWT, 15.0 PWWT, 2.2 PEMD,-1.0 PFAT and a CarcasePlus index of 205.
Also buying from the Dongadilling offering were Alex Cant Farming, Euvista stud, Kojonup, which bid to $3000 and the Lawrence family, Canternatting stud, Southern Brook, who bid to $2900 for sons of Claronden 150296 which had CarcasePlus indexes of 188 and 171.
Mr Keatley also purchased a Dongadilling ram for $2500 for Hillroy Farms Pty Ltd.
The Brimfield stud offered four rams but only one found a new home when it sold for $3000 to MM &MJ Johnston & Son, Boyup Brook.
This ram has a CarcasePlus index of 181 and is by Brimfield 130429.
The Wilson family, Willow Park stud, Harvey, sold one of its two rams offered under the hammer for $2000.
The buyer of the Willow Park ram was return buyer to the stud Chris Patmore.
The 129kg ram was sold with scan figures from September 29 of 45mm eye muscle depth, 91mm eye muscle width and 8mm fat.
Rounding out the Poll Dorset studs to sell was the Sutherland family's Sandown stud, Perenjori.
It offered two rams in the sale and sold one for $2000 to RE Burges & Son, Meckering.
The ram is a son of Sandown 150318 and has a CarcasePlus of 193 to go with LambPlan figures of 0.52 BWT, 10.6 WWT, 16.7 PWWT, 0.3 PEMD and -1.4 PFAT.
