POLL Dorset sires showing good growth and excellent carcase traits were what greeted buyers when they walked into the selling shed at last week's Eringa Park Poll Dorset ram sale at Kalannie.
The even line-up of paddock-run rams received solid buying support in the main from regular local buyers who pushed prices to a sale high of $1900.
In the sale the Tunstill family offered 70 rams under the Elders hammer and on the back of solid interest cleared them all to 11 different buyers at an $817 average, which was back $119 on last year.
Last year the stud offered and sold 70 rams to a top of $1900 twice and an average of $936.
Elders stud stock prime lamb specialist Michael O'Neill said it was a good sale with a total clearance.
"We were very happy with the clearance for the sale but unfortunately the prices were slightly back and this was probably on the back due to the stud losing a long-term client that has sold their farm and in the past they regularly bought at the top end," Mr O'Neill said.
"Local buyers were again in force at the sale and got some very good rams at prices in their favour.
"When you are getting local buyers back, year-after-year you know you are doing something right.
"Once again the rams, which are paddock-run, presented extremely well and showed the signs of the excellent season in the area.
"They were presented in their working clothes, ready to go out with the ewes and work.
"They were all easy-doing, big, long-bodied rams with neck extension which Wheatbelt producers want as there are live lambs on the ground when they go and check the mobs."
The sale's $1900 top price was set earlier in the sale when a long-bodied, well-muscled ram in pen three was knocked down for the value to return buyer Jordan McCreery, JG & KL McCreery, Kalannie.
The ram weighed in at 119 kilograms and had scans of 48.8mm eye muscle depth (EMD) and 6mm fat.
Along with securing the top-priced ram, the McCreery family purchased another seven rams to finish with a team of eight at an average of $1038.
Also heading to the McCreery's paddocks were rams at $1200, $1100 and $1000.
Fellow return buyer the Faulkner family, Faulkner Brother Holdings, Beacon, which purchased one of last year's top-priced rams, also wasn't afraid to bid strongly on their picks.
The operation purchased the sale's $1700 second top-priced ram which weighed 113kg and had scans of 48mm EMD and 6.5mm fat.
Along with this ram, the Faulkners also purchased a 119.5kg ram with scans of 48.2mm EMD and 6.5mm fat at $1300.
Another buyer to purchase strongly was RL Fileay & Silvermoon, which purchased three rams at an average of $1267 and to a top of $1400 twice.
Their $1400 selections weighed 120kg and 111kg and they had scans of 49.3mm EMD and 7.6mm fat and 45.4mm EMD and 5.5mm fat respectively.
KA Huckstep & Co was also active at the top end of the market purchasing two rams at $1200 and $1000.
There were joint volume buyers in the sale and they both purchased a dozen sires.
Repeat client Warra Farms, Kalannie, averaged $667 over its 12 rams while return buyer West & Haggerty, recorded a $633 average for its team.
There was one other buyer to purchase a double figure team and that was return Jurien Bay-based client RN & KL Morcombe, which finished the day with 11 rams to a top of $1200 twice and an average of $882.
Other significant buyers in terms of numbers were RD & DA McCreery, Kalannie, which averaged $800 over a team of six and Jatso Farming that purchased six at an average of $600.