A SALE that was red-hot in near drought conditions in 2020, upped the anti even further this year, buoyed by a total turnaround in season, record sheep prices and heightened demand for a quality product.
Members of East Mundalla's Gooding and Robinson families watched on in awe as their average jumped $388 to $2517 for a total clearance of their very even team of 139 rams offered under the hammer of Elders auctioneer Nathan King.
While the number offered was back from 150 in 2020, a decision influenced in part by the exit from the sheep industry of a few sale regulars, so too was the top price from $12,000 to $8500.
But most significantly, this year's strong result was driven by consistent cross catalogue competition from commercial producers and not price spikes from the stud breeding fraternity.
And while there were those sticking to Merinos as their preference, it was an increased percentage of Poll Merinos which, in line with industry trends, captured majority attention.
In total they accounted for 78 per cent of the catalogue, compared to 60pc last year with 109 Poll Merinos topping at $8500 and averaging $2590 compared to $2146 for 90 head in 2020, while 30 Merinos topped at $4400 to average $2250 compared to $2104 for 60 last year.
The day's top price of $8500 was bid by last year's second top price buyers and clients of more than 20 years, the Ditchburn family, Golden Hill stud, Kukerin, for a Poll Merino by Masterbuilt 83, a son of Masterbuilt 53 bought for $46,000 at the Collinsville on-property sale, South Australia, three years ago.
At 121kg the ram in pen four was one of the heaviest in the line-up and balanced this with wool test figures of 20.5 micron, 3.4 SD, 16.6 CV and 99.1 per cent comfort factor (CF).
"We have had good success with this bloodline before which combines a good meaty body with a quality wool," said Golden Hill stud principal Nathan Ditchburn.
"We want frame and constitution and while there is increased emphasis on the carcase, you still need quality wool."
Mr Ditchburn said the new recruit would join other Masterbuilt contemporaries to be syndicate mated in a nucleus flock of 300 ewes.
Second top price of $6250 was bid by Tim Adams, Kullaroo Pty Ltd trading as PW & LF Adams, Kukerin, for a big ram with a tonne of presence and soft lustrous wool.
The Masterbuilt 53 son which weighed 117kg and tested 21.3 micron, 3.4 SD, 15.7 CV and 99.3pc CF, was the clients of 40 years' sole purchase.
Mr Adams said the "well built all rounder with its beautiful long stapled, free growing wool" provided a new family for them and would be used with about 60 ewes as part of a 150 head nucleus flock from which they breed their own rams.
"While wool is still important to us, we are placing more emphasis on meat these days in probably a 60 to 40 ratio," Mr Adams said.
"As part of this we also produce F1 Dohne-Merino cross ewes which we mate to White Suffolks."
Notably, Masterbuilt 53 also produced East Mundalla's $51,000 sale topper at the recent Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale in Katanning.
Volume buyers also had a big influence on the overall sale result including long-time clients IF & SJ Lloyd, Newdegate, which finished with 11 head to a top of $3000 and $2327 average.
Long stapled, low micron wools on good bodied Poll Merinos was the brief for Nutrien Livestock Breeding's Mitch Crosby buying on behalf of Eastern States' client of eight years DB & TI Hazell, Grenfell, New South Wales and he put together a team of 10 for them paying up to $4250 and a $2935 average.
Lake King-based MJ & PA Nicholls secured 10 flock improvers, while KJ & RF Liebeck, Merredin and RA McDonald & Co, Newdegate, were each successful on eight rams.
Speaking after the sale Nathan King said it had been an outstanding result very much driven by commercial clients.
"The industry is in a good space now with water in dams, plenty of feed and the market as good as ever," Mr King said.
"And perhaps we are seeing some impact from the effects of increasing fertiliser and machinery prices, frost issues and other pressures on cropping.
"The other thing today was the greater number of Polls and the depth of quality in them which is a result of industry demand for ease of management and OHS issues," Mr King said.
East Mundalla stud co-principal Daniel Gooding paid tribute to the support of existing and new clients saying it had definitely been one of their better sales.
"I think it was helped by a better season and good meat prices which has certainly been beneficial to us all," Mr Gooding said.
