AN extensive catalogue of quality Poll Merino rams saw buyers compete strongly on their selections to record one of the sales of this ram selling season at Wiringa Park's annual on-property ram sale at Nyabing.
The even line-up of 200 April shorn, well-grown and measured elite woolled Poll rams with sires DNA verified, impressed in their holstered penning format and demonstrated the stud's continual growth and significant investment in genetics, with the most recent addition a $10,000 semen share stake in the $70,000 Moorundie ram NE73 008.
Aware seasonal conditions had impacted ram requirements among some of its client base, the Hobley family adjusted its sale numbers from last year to reflect the current conditions.
A strong contingent of return buyers and some new faces repaid the Hobley's unwavering commitment and passion to their breeding program with extremely buoyant buying support throughout the sale.
It started with added stud and nucleus interest on the opening run of shed-prepared rams which was followed by a level of commercial competition at stages of the sale seen only at a few WA ram sales this year.
At the end of selling the Nutrien Livestock selling team, led by auctioneer Mark Warren, cleared 188 rams (94 per cent) at auction for an elevated average of $2313 to gross $434,900 and join the highlight reel for this ram selling season.
The average jumped $276 from the reduced clearance compared to last year's where 232 of 237 rams (98pc) sold under the hammer for an average of $2037.
While competition was red-hot for a large chunk of the sale, it did soften as the sale progressed which saw plenty of rams selling from $800 and allowed buyers of all budgets to fill their requirements.
A number of the overlooked rams found new homes soon after the sale concluded and interest on the stud's team of private selections rams saw further sales.
Mr Warren said it was an outstanding line of Poll Merino rams that sold to rewarding results for the Hobley family.
"The Hobleys are very passionate about the Merino industry and their clients' breeding programs and are prepared to invest heavily in genetics," Mr Warren said.
"The rams show plenty of growth with good figures and excellent wool qualities.
"There were a lot of return buyers in attendance again at this year's sale proving Wiringa Park is going in the right direction."
Return buyer Richard Norrish, BJ & R Norrish, Ravensthorpe, raised his sights on the top young ram in pen nine to pay the sale's $7500 top price.
The 115.5kg son of Poll Boonoke (PB) 17-759 displayed August wool tests of 19 micron, 3.2 SD, 16.7 CV, 99.6 per cent comfort factor (CF), 5.3kg (five months growth) greasy fleece weight (GFW), scanned in late June 32mm eye muscle depth (EMD) and 3.7mm fat with ASBVs of 30.6 YCFW (top 5pc), -0.9 YFD, 5.5 PWT, 6.8 YWT, -0.7 YFAT, -0.6 YEMD, 165.5 MP+ (top 20pc) and 159.1 DP +.
Mr Norrish said it was his fourth Wiringa Park ram purchased in the past six years to go into his nucleus flock of 150 ewes to help produce flock rams for his 2000 March shorn commercial ewe flock which has been reduced on traditional numbers over the past few years due to seasonal conditions.
He said his new sire was a good wool cutter with bright and stylish wool on a good bodied sheep.
The team leader kicked the sale off in style when it sold for the sale's $7000 second top price to the Nichols family's Shiloh stud, Pingrup.
The high ranking son of PB 17-135 tipped the scales at 118kg and tested 18.7 micron, 3.2 SD, 17.1 CV, 99.8pc CF, 5kg GFW, 28.9mm EMD and 4.8mm fat with ASBVs of 28 YCFW (top 10pc), -0.9 YFD, 7.1 PWT (top 10pc), 8.7 YWT (top 20pc), -0.9 YFAT, -1.6 YEMD, 165.2 MP+ (top 20pc) and 153.6 DP+.
Buyer Ross Nichols said it was the first Wiringa Park sire introduced into the Shiloh stud and considered it one of the picks of the shed.
"Doability, make and shape with a good topline and rump and beautiful deep crimping wool," Mr Nichols said.
"He is what we are looking for - a heavy cutting sire with good conformation and some really good ASBVs."
Return interstate buyers, the Hobbs family, Lingmer Poll Merino stud, Douglas, near Horsham, Victoria, paid $5500 for a new sire via phone through Nutrien Livestock stud and commercial sheep manager Tom Bowen.
The 113kg ram was another PB 17-135 son with tests of 19.1 micron, 3.3 SD, 17.5 CV, 99.3pc CF, 5kg GFW, 32.3mm EMD and 3.9mm fat with ASBVs ranking in the top 10pc for PWT and top 20pc for YCFW and YWT.
Cranbrook graziers PS Climie & Co operated at the top end of the market for a team of five rams costing a healthy average of $3700, with their $4100 top price bid directed at lot 13 containing a 106.5kg Wiringa Park 16-434 son testing 18.6 micron, 2.8 SD, 15 CV, 99.8pc CF, 32mm EMD and 3.6mm fat while ranking in the top 10pc for PWT.
The Climie family also included a 115.5kg 19.1 micron son of the $52,000 Moorundie 16-388 that ranked in the top 20pc for PWT and YWT for $4000.
The sale's most influential buyer were local producers the Dolan family, WP Dolan & Co, Nyabing, who tallied a haul of 13 rams at the top of the market, costing from $2200 to $3800 with another Moorundie 16-388 son featuring in their top price.
Numerous buyers were prepared to operate in excess of $3000 for their selections.
These include HJ & NG Milne, Borden, who bid from $2500 to $3900 for seven rams to average $3243 with their top bid going to lot 13 containing a 98kg, 19.8 micron Moorundie 16-388 son ranking in the top 20pc for YCFW.
The Beeck family, Glenorchy Estate, Gnowangerup, outlaid from $3300 to $3900 for a team of five rams at an average of $3560 with their top price paid for a 105kg Wiringa Park 16-434 son in lot 14 which ranked in the top 10pc for PWT and top 20pc for YWT.
Pingaring graziers ST & KN Gerard spent an average of $3040 for a team of five rams, while Dualling Partners, Nyabing, paid to a $3900 top, also for a team of five rams.
Some of the larger accounts built at the sale were return volume buyers again RA Mills & Co, Brookton, with a team of 15 rams costing from $1200 to $2500.
Eticup Grazing Co, Broomehill, bid to $3700 on their way to collecting 12 rams, Bellakin Grazing Co, Katanning, loaded up 10 rams costing $2500, while DJ Tapscott & Co, Pingrup and MK & M Peakall, Amelup, secured nine rams each, paying to tops of $2900 and $3900 respectively.
Mt Barker woolgrowers MR, LS & JC Duggan finished the sale with eight rams to a $2500 top and tallying seven rams at the sale were Monalta Grazing Co, Katanning, P & W Bradshaw, Tambellup and Philip Russell filling an order for Narlee Grazing Co, Tambellup.
