FOLLOWING the stud's centenary celebrations last year, the 101-year-old Woodyarrup stud recorded another impressive result at its 14th annual on-property ram sale at Broomehill earlier this month.
Woodyarrup's loyal long-term commercial clients joined some newer faces and interstate interest at the sale, along with strong support from the State's stud and nucleus fraternity, who bid intently through to the final lot and rewarded the Dewar family with one of the strongest sale results this ram selling season.
The Woodyarrup team catalogued an outstanding sale team of 253 extensively measured, high ranking, large framed, productive, white fine-medium woolled Merino and Poll Merino rams reflecting its philosophy of 'top preparation and commitment to genetic improvement to pay dividends for it clients'.
This year's sale team averaged 19.9 micron, 2.9 SD, 14.7 CV, 99.4 per cent comfort factor (CF), 111kg bodyweight (BW), 167.54 MP+ and 165.54 DP+ ASBV indexes, with all bar a few rams ranking in industry's top 20 to 30 per cent for at least one trait and a wide selection of trait leaders (top 1pc) and high ranking rams across multiple traits.
Buyers from varying climatic areas showed the versatility of the Woodyarrup sheep and with depth right through the catalogue, bidding actively on their suited types throughout the large catalogue to fill their pre-joining requirements and significantly improve values from last year.
Elders auctioneers Nathan King and James Culleton shared selling duties and at the end of the sale, the Elders selling team had cleared 250 rams (99pc) at auction to average $2643.
This also saw an increase in the number of rams sold at auction from last year where 241 of 252 rams (96pc) sold under the hammer to average $2203.
While Merinos still made up a significant portion of the catalogue, growing interest in the stable's younger Poll stud saw the stud offer a greater number of Poll rams to meet demand.
In the sale break down, there was a total clearance of 193 Merino rams which sold to an impressive average of $2855, up $614 on last year's sale where 202 of 210 rams (96pc) were sold at auction to average $2241.
The increased Poll Merino offering of 60 rams saw 57 rams (95pc) sell under the hammer also at an improved average of $1925, up $303 on last year's sale where 39 of 42 rams (93pc) sold for an average of $1622.
A run of 36 regulation March shorn shed prepared and paddock run rams opened the sale and while top-priced ram buyers from the past two years the Doyle family, Wylivere Farms, Corrigin, got the sale off to a flying start with the winning $8500 bid for lot one, it was the May shorn sale team leader in lot 37 that stole the show when it was knocked down to the Doyles for the $15,000 top price.
The thumping 126kg July 2020-drop ram still with its lambs teeth, was AI-bred by the highly regarded ET-bred sire 171883.
The Merino ram displayed current wool tests of 18.7 micron, 2.6 SD, 13.7 CV and 100pc CF, with outstanding high ranking ASBVs of 8.3 PWWT (top 10pc of MerinoSelect database), 11.1 YWT (top 10pc), -2.0 YFD (top 5pc), 37.7 YCFW (top 1pc), 35.3 ACFW (top 10pc), 190 DP+ (top 10pc) and 203 MP+ (top 1pc).
Buyer Greg Doyle, who attended the sale with his son Ben, said while their classer Russell McKay, Elders stud stock, had recommended lot one, they saw the top ram for the first time at the sale and couldn't overlook him.
"He is a standout, everyone looked and commented," Mr Doyle said.
"An outstanding ram, not just in his size but it's rare to also have such good wool quality."
The Doyles $8500 Merino ram purchase was the sale's third top price for a 147.5kg son of 151005 that tested 20.3 micron, 3.4 SD, 15.4 CV and 99.6pc and ranked in the top 5pc for PWWT (7.1), top 20pc ACFW (23.4) and top 30pc YCFW (22.8).
It is the seventh year the Doyle family has purchased Woodyarrup sires to go into the operation's nucleus breeding program to produce their own flock rams and top replacement ewes.
The family's total ewe mating for the coming joining at the end of November has increased to 5200 August shorn Merino ewes.
"We selected two of the bigger sheep in the sale that are dual-purpose relative as we sell mostly wether lambs," Mr Doyle said.
"Coming off a Peppin base, we are trying to get more stretch and early maturity into our sheep."
The $11,250 second top price was paid for a March shorn Merino ram in lot two by AWN Livestock manager Don Morgan for an Upper Great Southern client who requested to remain undisclosed.
The 125kg July-drop ram by 150167 tested 18.8 micron, 2.8 SD, 14.8 CV and 99.5pc CF along with a number of high ranking traits including 177 DP+ index (top 5pc), 35.6 YCFW (top 10pc), 30.4 ACFW (top 10pc), 187 MP+ index (top 10pc), 6.0 PWWT (top 20pc) and 7.7 YWT (top 30pc).
Losing bidder on the top-priced ram Kevin Broad, Elders stud stock, paid the next highest price of $6300 on behalf of a local client Kebaringup Farms, Gnowangerup.
The selection was a September-drop 98.5kg AI-bred Merino ram by 170470 in lot 57 which tested 19.6 micron, 2.9 SD, 14.8 CV and 99.9pc CF and ranked in the top 1pc for ACFW 44.8, top 5pc for YWT 10.2, top 10pc for PWWT 8.2, YCFW 37.1, DP+ 185 and MP+ 190.
Regular stud buyers Warrens Creek stud, Kojonup, sourced three new Merino sires and paid to the next highest price of $5500 for another spring-drop AI-bred 170470 son in lot 62.
The 104.5kg ram displayed wool tests of 19.8 micron, 2.6 SD, 13.3 CV and 99.8pc CF with ASBVs ranking in the top 1pc for ACFW 36.1, top 5pc for DP+ 179 and PWWT 7.0, top 10pc for YCFW 35.8 and MP+ 182 and top 20pc for YWT.
Mr Broad also collected a couple of new Merino sires for the Woolkabin stud, Woodanilling, costing to the next equal highest price of $4600, outlaid for another high ranking 98.5kg spring-drop 170470 son testing 19.6 micron, 2.9 SD, 14.8 CV and 99.9pc CF and ranked in the top 1pc for ACFW 44.8, top 5pc YWT 10.2 and top 10pc for PWWT 8.2, YCFW 37.1, DP+ 185 and MP+ 190.
The other $4600 price tag was paid by the Simmonds family, Arethusa (WA) Pty Ltd, Quairading, for one of two March shorn rams penned in the first 10 with their top bid going to a 111.5kg July-drop AI-bred ram by 171883 testing 19.1 micron, 2.9 SD, 15.1 CV and 99.6pc CF and ASBVs ranking in the top 5pc for PWWT 7.5, top 10pc YWT 11.7, YCFW 32.8, SCFW 31.0, DP+ 189 and MP+ 192 and top 30pc for YFD -1.5.
Paul and Lorraine Ardagh, Karingal stud, Kondinin, paid the $4100 top Poll Merino ram price for the Poll team leader penned in lot 11.
The 124kg March shorn ram was an AI-bred June-drop ram by Glenlea Park 180173, testing 21.6 micron, 3 SD, 13.5 CV and 99.1pc CF and ranking in the top 5pc for PWWT 6.4 and YWT 8.2 and top 10pc for YCFW 37.4, ACFW 32.6, DP+ 188 and MP+ 184.
The Patmore family, Springhill Farm, Narrogin, went to script, securing a team of 10 Merino rams at extremely strong values, outlaying a weighty $3420 average and paid to a $4100 top price for the final selection in lot 135, a 115.5kg July-drop son of 160971 testing 17.9 micron, 2.6 SD, 14.4 CV and 100pc CF which ranked in the top 5pc for YFD -2.1, ACFW 30.1 and DP+ 176, top 10pc YCFW 32.0 and MP+ 188 and top 20pc for PWWT 6.1 and YWT 8.7.
Return nucleus sire buyer Wayne Pech, North Stirling Downs Pty Ltd, Gnowangerup, matched the $4100 bid for his Merino selection in lot 13, a 125.5kg AI-bred June-drop ram by 140149 testing 20.9 micron, 3.3 SD, 15.6 CV and 99.1pc CF and with ASBVs ranking in the top 1pc for YCFW 38.5, top 5pc YWT 10.4 and DP+ 182 and top 10pc for PWWT 8.2, ACFW 30.7 and MP+ 187.
But the strength and consistency of the sale was underpinned by numerous commercial buyers from the 51-strong buyer register that were prepared to not only put together large teams of rams, but also competitively bid for their selections and ultimately outlay healthy values.
None more so than the Fowler family, Rapanui Pastoral, Williams, with 25 rams (15 Merino and 10 Poll Merino rams) costing to $4000 and average $2768.
The $4000 bid secured the family's first ram in lot 25 with a 131kg June-drop ET-bred ram by N150073 testing 17.7 micron, 2.9 SD, 16.2 CV and 99.9pc CF with ASBVs ranking in the top 5pc for YWT 9.7 and DP+ 179, top 10pc for PWWT 8.3 and MP+ 184, top 20pc for YCFW 28.1 and ACFW 23.6 and top 30pc YFD -1.5.
The Fowlers used genomic testing four years ago to identify strength and weaknesses in their Merino sheep flock which led them to Woodyarrup for the first time last year.
Noel Fowler said the results showed they had good wool sheep against the national flock average but they wanted to improve the growth and carcase of their sheep.
"We are looking for yearling weights while maintaining bright free growing wool, to get animals up to weight for better survivability and profitability," Mr Fowler said.
"The quality of rams at the sale was very consistent all the way through with a greater selection from front to back and we were buying on quality through to the final few rams."
The next most influential buyer was 11-year client Morgan Brothers, Cranbrook, who finished with a team of 20 Merino rams, with values from $1800 to $3300 to average a solid $2615.
Armed with several orders, Elders' Russell McKay operated right throughout the sale collecting 13 Merino rams for regular buyer of numbers Myoting Plains, Quairading, costing from $2100 to $3600 and five Merino rams each for annual buyers Kelsey Jay Nominees Pty Ltd, East Pingelly and Dale Park Partnership, Beverley.
Other double figure accounts were other consistent buyers of bigger teams of rams Woodspoint Farm, Katanning, spending to $2900 for 12 Merino rams to average $2333, Blackboy Hill Farms, Mettler, with 11 Merino rams costing from $1900 to $2900 and Miripin Farms, Woodanilling, who operated at value to secure 10 Poll Merino rams spending from $800 to $1900.
Another exclusive return Poll Merino ram buyer was Frost & Cave Farms, Kendenup, who finished with nine rams paying from $1900 to $3500 ,while Sheridan Grazing Co, Tambellup and Carslake Holdings Pty Ltd, Beverley, loaded up eight Merino rams each.
