VALUES reached $10,000 to headline strong overall results at East Strathglen Merino and Poll Merino stud's 33rd annual on-property ram sale at Tambellup last Friday.
Set on the traditional Friday afternoon before the AFL Grand Final weekend, the Sprigg family's team of 167 Merino and Poll Merino rams impressed.
With the versatility of the East Strathglen trademark white wools and strong constitutions was reflected in the buying register of 37 growers descending from the northern and Central Wheatbelt, Central Midlands, Upper and Lower Great Southern and the South Coast.
While averages were back on last year's red-hot sale, the Spriggs capped off the excellent season with a strong clearance rate and buoyant values.
The officiating Elders team led by auctioneers Nathan King and James Culleton notched up a 93 per cent clearance rate when they sold 155 Merino and Poll Merino rams at auction for an average of $2118.
This was back $357 on overall average compared to last year's sale where 156 of 160 rams (98pc) sold under the hammer to average $2475.
In the breed breakdown, 117 of a slightly increased team of 122 Merino rams found new homes (96 per cent) at auction for an average of $2119, down $431 on last year, with all the overlooked rams selling during or immediately after the sale.
Last year there was a total clearance of 116 Merino rams for an average of $2550.
The Poll Merino team of 45 rams saw 38 sell at auction (84pc) for a $2114 average, down $141 on last year's sale where 40 of 44 rams (91pc) sold under the hammer for a $2255 average.
The sale opening run of 22 regulation March shorn prepared rams got the sale off to a strong start with 11 Merino rams selling for a $4841 average and 11 Poll Merino rams averaged $3591.
As Mr King prepared to offer lot three, he touted the upstanding Merino ram as one of the best rams ever to be offered at East Strathglen's on-property sale.
A number of prospective new owners agreed and the ET-bred ram by East Mundalla Jonty son East Strathglen Mundy and dam East Strathglen 595 testing 17.9 micron, 2.7 SD, 15.3 CV and 99.7 per cent comfort factor lived up to the lofty pre-sale expectation when it sold for the sale's $10,000 top price.
The ram was purchased by Russell McKay, Elders stud stock, bidding on behalf of Woodanilling woolgrowers Barry Shackley & Co.
The Saunders family, A Saunders & Co, Highbury, have been sourcing nucleus sires at East Strathglen at all of the stud's 33 onfarm sales and from the Sprigg family prior to the first sale, returning this year to purchase the sale's top-priced Poll Merino ram for $8500.
Displaying wool tests of 19.8 micron, 2.8 SD, 14.2 CV and 99.7pc CF, the quality young sire was the fourth March shorn polled ram offered with the East Strathglen Trump family continuing to deliver top-priced polled rams.
Murray Saunders and his father Gerald run a total of 3300 commercial Merino breeding ewes which includes a nucleus of 450 ewes breeding replacements and their own flock rams.
With main shearing events in September and March, the ewe flock averages 18 micron for hoggets and 19.5 micron for adult ewes which are joined from December 1.
Murray Saunders said it was a top polled ram best suited to their enterprise.
"The East Strathglen sheep do well for us in our country," Mr Saunders said.
"The ram has free growing stylish wool with a wide muzzle and deep body.
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"We will syndicate mate him to a selection of nucleus ewes, it matches the same family as the Mercenary ram we purchased a few years ago."
After buying his first East Strathglen polled sire last year, Neil Jackson, Overton stud, Kojonup, returned and paid the sale's $7000 third top price for a new stud sire.
The stylish ram was the fifth March shorn poll ram offered and displayed wool tests of 19.1 micron, 2.8 SD, 14.7 CV and 99.5pc CF.
Tambellup graziers AR Brown outlaid a healthy average of $3529 for seven Merino rams paying to a $5250 top price for the ninth March shorn Merino offered testing 18.1 micron, 2.9 SD, 16 CV and 99.8pc CF, while their six rams from the line-up of paddock run April shorn rams topped at $4400 for lot 56 displaying wool tests of 18.7 micron, 2.6 SD, 14.2 CV and 99.5pc CF.
Regular buyer of top-end East Strathglen rams ST & VM Joy, Dumbleyung, went to script to collect four rams (three horned, one poll) at a strong average of $4650.
The team of three March shorn rams and one April shorn ram topped at $5250 for their only Poll selection, the March shorn Poll team leader that tested 18 micron, 3.1 SD, 17.2 CV and 99.5pc CF.
The Joys also paid $5000 for the sixth March shorn Merino ram offered displaying wool tests of 17.3 micron, 3 SD, 17.1 CV and 99.5pc CF.
Long-time buyer and regular name at the dearer end of the market Connamara Grazing, Kojonup, bid from $2100 to $4300 for seven Merino rams with its top price paid deep into the catalogue for lot 98 displaying tests of 21.6 micron, 3.2 SD, 14.8 CV and 99.5pc CF.
Return buyers who aren't afraid to bid up on their selections Cristinelli Grazing Company, Tambellup, purchased five Merino rams consisting of two March shorn and three April shorn rams.
Included in their selections was the $4750 second top price for an April shorn ram testing 18.8 micron, 2.4 SD, 12.7 CV and 99.8pc CF, while their two March shorn team leaders topped at $4500 for lot two, testing 19 micron, 3 SD,
15.8 CV and 99.7pc CF.
The Patterson family, Redwood Enterprises, Tambellup and Preston Clarke, Elders stud stock, representing G & M Box, Northampton, each paid $5250 for single sire purchases.
The Pattersons secured the fourth March shorn Merino ram offered testing 16.8 micron, 3 SD, 18 CV and 99.8pc CF, while heading north to the Box family was the third April shorn poll ram offered testing 18.2 micron, 2.9 SD, 16.2 CV and 99.7pc CF.
There was a number of buyers who built significant teams of rams at the sale.
The most prominent was 16-year East Strathglen client O'Keeffe Farming, Gnowangerup, which finished the sale with 25 Merino rams through the buying of its classer Russell McKay.
The operation was prepared to meet the market early in the sale paying to a top of $3600 twice and more than $3000 for seven of its selections with the back end of its purchases at value to average out at $1896.
FI Neil & Co, Cranbrook, managed to fill its requirements of 17 Merino rams for $600 each across the team which included the five overlooked Merino rams at auction.
Fellow Cranbrook graziers PL & DM Horrock made a solid contribution with a team of 16 rams, costing from $800 to $3500 to average $1881, including nine Polled rams (five March shorn) and seven April shorn Merino rams.
Regular volume buyers Subasio Downs, Gnowellen, sourced 14 rams including eight Merino rams and six Polled rams, costing from $600 to $3100 to average $1936.
The sale finished on a heart-warming note with the proceeds of the final ram generously donated by the Sprigg family to the fundraiser Shearing For Liz Pink Day for the Breast Cancer Research Centre - WA.
The ram was purchased by Chad Sounness, Rathmhor Farming, Needilup/Mt Barker, for $3100.
