BUYERS' memories of last year's red-hot Nepowie sale came flooding back when the first ram to go under the hammer this year made $10,200 after two determined bidders set their sights on the same sheep.
The price prompted concerned clients to reach quickly and deeply into their pockets to get the rams they wanted, but midway through the sale their fears of missing out proved unfounded.
By the end of the day everyone including stud principal Cameron White was happy with values and the broad selection on offer.
The sale presented 241 Poll Merino rams of which 230 sold at auction to give a $1605 average that was down $123 on the $1728 achieved at last year's pressure-cooker event when every ram was sold.
Last week's on-property sale at Nomans Lake attracted plenty of long-term buyers including John Koric, Koranga Farming Co, Dongara, and Phil and Alan Bear, FJ Bear & Co, Moonijin stud, Dowerin, neither of whom are strangers to buying at the top end of the sale and it was these two parties who contended for the team leader.
The bidding rose in $200 increments accepted by Elders auctioneer Preston Clarke after he received a $3000 start and the rapid responses from Mr Koric made it obvious it was destined for Dongara.
He said the ram was selected by his Merino adviser Bill Johnson and apart from its size and stretch, the ram had good early growth rates and a long, white deeply crimped free-growing wool.
"These were our main objectives and also the fact the first five or so rams in the sale had been used as ram lambs and were still at the top meant a lot," Mr Koric said.
"Bill has worked for us for many years and selected the ram and I take a lot of notice of what he says."
Mr Koric breeds his own rams for a 1500-head ewe flock and was unsuccessful at last year's Nepowie sale but returned this year more determined.
"It was four years since we last bought a ram and I knew I had to be more focussed and prepared for what I had to pay this time."
The ram was one of Nepowie's first drop of lambs by Tamaleuca 127, a Victorian high-performance sire that had only a handful of sons in the sale.
Nepowie is still working its way towards full Australian Sheep Breeding Values performance recording and the sire has been important in strengthening their linkage across flocks in the evaluation system.
A number of the top sale rams had been worked as ram lambs and didn't have comparable ASBVs but the top price ram had raw data for wool and carcase traits.
Carcase figures showed 55 kilograms post weaning weight, 88.5kg yearling weight, 113kg current weight, 4.2millimetres fat and 31.7mm eye muscle depth.
July wool figures were 17.9 microns, 3.7 standard deviation, 99.9 per cent comfort factor and 68.8pc yield.
Six of the first seven rams offered were Tamaleuca 127 sons and among them was lot two bought for the $6000 second top price by FJ Bear & Co.
Stud spokesman Phil Bear said they had been buying from Nepowie for more than 40 years and although he missed out on the first ram, he was still pleased with the size and wool cut of the second Tamaleuca son.
He and son Alan ran a 500-head nucleus flock mainly to provide rams for the 1500 commercial ewes they run.
Lot four fetched the $4200 third top price and was the only ram bought by Morlup Nominees, Yealering.
The long-term association between Elders sheep classer Kevin Broad and client Gavin Elsegood, Mingenew, made a formidable bidding opponent and if Mr Elsegood had a budget, it was not readily apparent.
He bought six of the first 20 rams, spending up to $3600 then in a tactical move to average back, they waited for some of the cheaper rams later in the sale.
It was a move that was only moderately successful with his last ram in pen 143 still costing $3200.
He ended up paying a $2553 average for 17 rams and said he, like many others, was looking for a ram with size and early maturity.
Wool quality was not a priority because it was a foregone conclusion that Nepowie had the wool they wanted in abundance.
Mr Broad was pleased with the quality of their purchases, saying they had bought the right sheep for the right price.
"The Elsegoods have very good commercial sheep and it helped that half way through the sale we had a report the wool market had jumped again," Mr Broad said.
The sale recorded 38 registrations and all but one name appeared on the clerking sheets as buyers.
After Mr Clarke finished the sale, he said buyers had looked for early maturity that would ensure lamb survival and quality and selling a quality line-up of well-presented rams that fitted that demand had been an easy task for him.
Among them there were plenty of volume buyers at every price level including Lee, Kate, Trevor and Claire Flavel, Highbury, who bought 19 rams and have been buying from Nepowie since 2009.
They paid up to $2000 and $1800 (3) but kept within budget.
They bought one ram in the early stages but found plenty of good value rams when the market softened in the later stages.
Spokesman Lee said they were grateful there were so many rams on offer and they liked that they could compare and buy all their rams in one place on the same day.
Steve Angwin and son Wade, SK & TR Angwin, Wagin, have been Nepowie clients since 1956 and joined about 3300 ewes to Poll Merinos, as well as a substantial number to terminal sires.
Last week they bought 14 rams at auction and were seeking rams with good size and some of the better, more nourished wools.
They were active throughout the entire sale and spent up to $1300, but were able to secure many rams at the $700 upset price.
Near neighbour Carlton Springs, Narrogin, bought 10 rams at below-average prices and S & P Connaughton & Co, Three Springs, also bought 10, paying up to $2000.
Clients of 30 years Chris, Cheryl and Trent James, Stockdale Partners, Hyden, spent up to $2800 for seven that all came from the top end of the sale.
They joined about a third of the flock to terminal sires and the rest went to Poll Merinos to achieve their aim of size combined with stylish white wool with good staple length.
Among the group buying smaller numbers but paying higher prices was HRD Pastoral Co, Dudinin, which paid up to $3200 for the best of four; Boyagin Valley Farm, Brookton, paid up to $3300 for three; Wallinar Grazing Co, Broomehill, paid up to $2900 for two; RA & MS Agnew, Esperance, paid up to $2700 for three; Nalya Farming Co, Brookton, went to $2700 to get five; Richie Wiese & Co, Narrogin, bought six for up to $2700; and first-time buyer Cowcher Farming Co, Wickepin, went to $2800 for four rams.
