BIGGER and even better next year was the verdict after the successful inaugural Mid West combined shedding ram sale earlier this month by three SheepMaster studs.
"We're already planning how we can display 100 rams next year," said Liz Williams, co-principal of Mogumber Plains SheepMaster stud, Mogumber, who hosted Rainbows Rest SheepMaster stud, Dongara and Blackwood SheepMaster stud, Boyup Brook, for the sale conducted by Elders.
Between them, the studs offered 40 rams which all sold for better-than-expected prices, with the sale grossing a total of $95,900, to average $2398.
It attracted about 60 people, with 18 registering as bidders and 13 buyers.
Samson, the lot-one 100 kilogram, 17-month-old, full-shedding top ram offered by Rainbows Rest co-principals Des and Tristan Reed and described by studmaster Geoff Crabb as the best ram the stud had bred in its four years, sold for the sale-high price of $7600 after a bidding war.
Clearly in a class of his own, the ram is heading to New South Wales, with Andrew Hodgson, SheepMaster's sales and marketing person, the successful bidder on behalf of SJ & MP Kilby, Kirkdale, Tarra, near Goulburn and was the Kilby's only purchase.
"Steve (Kilby) is a mate of mine, I've been talking to him about these sheep - he's a big prime lamb producer - I said to him it was worth giving these a go," Mr Hodgson said.
"We'll probably get a few ewes and another ram or two to go back with this bloke.
"He's just going to run them and give them a bit of a trial next to his prime lamb operation to see how they go.
"With the prices over east, we thought it was a really good opportunity to get in here before the market goes crazy.
"Steve is dipping a toe in the ocean with shedders, he's a new buyer."
Mr Hodgson was also the successful bidder on the top-priced Mogumber Plains offering at $2600 for a 17-month-old 86kg ram purchased on behalf of Eddie Zambonetti Pty Ltd, Narrikup.
With Zambonetti farm manager Rob Cooling by his side, Mr Hodgeson bought 10 rams, including three at $2000 - eight Mogumber Plains lots and two Rainbows Rest lots - at an average price of $1950 for a developing Zambonetti sheep meat operation that was the volume buyer of the sale.
"With Mr Zambonetti, we got rams last year so they've seen the benefits and they are going to continue on and start developing a sheep operation to go hand-in-hand with their cattle operation," Mr Hodgeson said.
"Ed (Zambonetti) runs his (cattle) feedlot very well and over a couple of beers we just talked it (sheep operation) through.
"I just said we've (SheepMaster) got clients that are weaning the ewe's body weight in a 12-month period and he can see the virtues in that and can see where the sheep job is going.
"I reckon sheep meat as a commodity is absolutely fantastic because all the world economies that are growing and doing well are sheepmeat eaters and there is no competitor - Australia is the only country that can produce big flocks."
Mr Cooling said half of the rams would go to flocks near Margaret River and the other half to flocks at Perenjori.
The top-priced Blackwood ram, the 14-month-old, long-bodied 96kg second-last pen of the day, sold for $3100 to
S & MD Magini, Mokup, who purchased one other Blackwood ram and four Rainbows Rest rams to a top of $3200 at an average spend of $2950.
Murray Magini, co-principal of the Crystal Ridge Prime SAMM operation, said it was the first time he and his father Steve had dealt with the studs.
"They (rams) looked pretty good and were a decent size," Mr Magini said.
"We run SAMMs, but we have 400 UltraWhite ewes we are going to put these (SheepMaster rams) over."
Other multiple buyers included Cunningham Enterprises WA, Morawa, with four Rainbows Rest rams purchased to a top of $3000 at an average of $2250 and LR & KA Brown also purchased four - three Rainbows Rest and a Blackwood ram - to a top of $2600 at an average of $2225.
WM & CM Robertson bought three Blackwood rams, paying a top of $3000 twice and V & HA Hayes, Badgingarra, bought two Rainbows Rest and a Mogumber Plains ram at an average of $1900.
Steve Meerwald, Butt Farms, The Lakes, bought two Mogumber Plains rams at an average of $1750, Colanmerv Pty Ltd, Wubin, bought two Rainbows Rest rams at an average of $2050 and SJ & SL Martin, Wannamal, bought a pair of Mogumber Plains rams at an average of $1750.
Liz and Peter Williams, Mogumber Plains co-principals, paid $2900 for a Rainbows Rest ram.
Neil Garnett, who launched the SheepMaster breed in 2017 and will host the SheepMaster national sale next month said he was very pleased with the result for the three studs.
"It was an excellent result and really at the top end of my expectations, but what was so good is that the prices were commercial, also everyone got what they wanted and we all had a good day," Mr Garnett said.
Phil Corker, co-principal of Blackwood stud, said he did not know what to expect from the stud's first public sale.
"We came here as a litmus test - I'm really happy with the support and really humbled by it," Mr Corker said.
"A couple of buyers were local guys for us, but there were at least three new buyers for us - I'm stoked."
Ms Williams and Mr Crabb expressed similar sentiments for their studs.
"We're very happy, they were all new buyers for us except for one and he was the person who got us into sheep in the first place - he sold us our first ewes and now he's buying our rams," Ms Williams said.
"We couldn't be happier for our first sale, prices were a little bit more than we were expecting but they didn't go too high - which would have been detrimental - because most of the rams are for commercial use," Mr Crabb said.