IT was sunnier weather in the Narrikup area last week and the promise of quality rams on offer attracted a crowd at the Carter Family's on-property Ridgetop Prime Lamb Sire Sale.
The stud put out a line-up of 135 quality prime lamb sires that sold to an overall clearance of 89 per cent.
Among the rams penned were the usual three separate breeds, resulting in a total clearance of White Suffolk rams, Poll Dorset rams and a 48pc clearance in the South Suffolk offering.
The registered buyers list was filled with predominantly local buyers who were eager to secure the Ridgetop genetics.
Buyers were given the opportunity to purchase rams individually or in pairs, which is what the majority of buyers opted for during the sale.
Elders auctioneer James Culleton was pleased with the outcome of the sale.
"It was a great sale," Mr Culleton said.
"There was continuous support throughout the sale.
"There were a few good orders that helped the sale flow."
Mr Culleton said it was positive to see a lot of the buyers buying the rams in pairs.
"The sheep presented very well throughout, the South Suffolks got a bit harder towards the end but still a great result," he said.
The sale started off strong in the White Suffolk offering with one of two top-price rams peaking at $1600, selling first to Murray Valley, Forest Hill.
The first ram to sell for this price was in pen one, setting the tone straight away.
The ram weighed 118 kilograms, had an eye muscle depth (EMD) of 45mm and a fat scan of 9.3mm.
Top-priced buyer Brad McLean said his family had been buying from the Ridgetop stud for about five years.
"We tend to pick on the make and shape of rams in terms of visual appraisal and look at the muscling on them too," Mr McLean said.
"We also take into consideration the rams figures too.
"We like to look at that side of things before we pick a ram."
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The Forest Hill enterprise rounded out it sales with another two White Suffolk rams, taking home an overall team of seven (including four Poll Dorsets) at the end of the sale for an average of $1086.
The other $1600 top-priced ram also sold early, in pen five, to CM Stothard & Co.
This ram weighed in at 96.5kg, with an EMD of 42.6mm and a fat scan of 6.9mm.
The Stothard family finished with a team of five rams at an average of $880, with the inclusion of two South Suffolk rams.
The volume buyer in the White Suffolk offering was MP Slade, Jerramungup, which took home a team of 15 rams, buying all at $700 each.
Kendenup buyers, Frost & Cave Farms, were also seeking to secure the Ridgetop genetics, leaving the sale with 10 rams at an average of $1330 and paying a top of $1500, six times.
Caralinga Farms trailed closely behind, purchasing eight sires at an average of $1125, also paying a top of $1500, twice.
SH & LD Parsons, Tenterden, and KW & GK Stothard, Mt Barker, both paid to a top of $900 and both purchased teams of nine rams.
The Parsons averaged $822 across their team, while the Stothards averaged $833 for their team which included a few Poll Dorset rams.
The Poll Dorset rams were the second up in the sale and in this section the top price of $1300 was reached six times and each time it was paid by Hillsea Farms, Mettler.
This buyer took home a total of 11 rams at an average price of $1182.
Its first $1300 purchase was a pair in pens 87 and 88.
Pen 87 weighed 78kg, with an EMD of 32.8mm and a fat scan of 4mm, while the second ram weighed 82.5kg with a 35.2mm EMD and a fat scan of 3.5mm.
The second top-priced ram in the Poll Dorset offering sold to IJ Collins, for $1200.
The Collins familys $1200 gem weighed 76.5kg, with an EMD of 36.3mm and a fat scan of 4.3mm.
Another volume buyer in the Poll Dorset offering was GJ & AL Thomason, Esperance, which paid an average of $700 for a team of six rams.
Last to sell were the South Suffolk rams that sold to a top of $800, which was paid by
G & B Mather, Mt Barker.
The Mathers bought only one South Suffolk ram for the entirety of the sale and it weighed in at 83.5kg, with an EMD of 38mm and a fat scan of 6.4mm.
The volume buyer in the South Suffolk offering was Wellstead buyer Barry McLeod, Subasio Downs, who purchased 11 of the 14 South Suffolk rams sold in the offering.
For the eleven rams, Mr McLeod paid an average of $700.
Ridgetop stud co-principal Denam Carter said he was happy with how the sale went.
"It was positive to see the White Suffolk and Poll Dorset rams clear completely," Mr Carter said.
"The South Suffolks were down a bit due to lack of support and demand there for them."
