Eyre Peninsula Poll Merino breeders dig deep into pockets for ripping WA ram
An Eyre Peninsula Poll Merino stud has dug deep into its pockets for an impressive ram from the west during the Australian Sheep and Wool Show.
Wiringa Park Poll Merino stud, Nyabing, WA, sold the stud reserve Wiringa Park 240742 for $70,000 (50 per cent semen share and possession) to the Daniell family's White River stud, Minnipa, in a private sale at Bendigo, Vic.
The classy future stud sire was bred in the purple, being ET-bred by Glenlea Park Poll 220614 and elite ewe WP220507, sired by WP200037 'Prince Philip', which sold for $40,000 in 2021 to the Woodyarrup and Pyramid Polls studs.
The young double polled ram matched outstanding physical attributes and structure with elite deeply crimped medium wool and ASBV performance.
It ranks in the top five per cent for Sustainable Merino (159.55) and Wool Production (213.5) indexes and all greasy and clean fleece weight traits, top 10pc lean meat yield (2.73) and top 20pc for yearling fibre diameter (-2.25) and adult staple length (14.45).
The 117kg ram (weighed mid-July) returned wool tests of 19.6 micron, 2.9 SD, 14.8 CV and 99.4pc comfort factor.
Buyer Wes Daniell said WP240742 appealed as soon as they saw him and opened his wool, laying the foundations for their first Wiringa Park sire purchase.
"Beautiful extra long-stapled wool, deep crimp and so true all over from front to back with his fleece," he said.
"Excellent wool cutting ability but on a plain body, beautiful head and muzzle and excellent poll factor with the PP gene.
"Stands well in the back legs and has a very straight topline and some of his ASBV data is very good."
Mr Daniell said the ram would be sent to the AI centre for collection in the near future.
"There was a lot of interest in the ram and we are hoping to sell semen to studs throughout Australia," he said.
Wiringa Park stud co-principal Allan Hobley said they were 'rapt' with the sale and excited to see the impact 240742 will have on the industry and at White River and Wiringa Park studs.
"We have so much confidence in WP240742, using him as a ram lamb at Wiringa Park in AI and ET programs in 2025," he said.
"Power in his pedigree makes him extremely potent, his dam is classed as elite and is possibly the best Prince Philip ewe we have ever bred.
"He is an absolute class act but we went over to Bendigo with no expectations.
"We had a lot of interest in the ram from multiple studs which blew us away and we are thrilled he is going to a good home where he will complement their breeding and we thank the Daniell family for their support.
"Our recent high-priced sire sales justify what we are doing.
"And the way WP220450 King Charles has bred around the place has helped stamp our ability to breed top-end stud sires that breed on."
The sale equalled Wiringa Park's record top ram price when it sold WP220450 'King Charles' at Bendigo in 2023 to the Rubie family's Lachlan stud, Forbes, NSW.
WP220450's industry influence was on display at Bendigo when one of his sons sold privately for $40,000.
The March-shorn Poll Merino ram set a new stud record price for breeders the Boughen family, Kamora Park stud, Sandalwood, with the ram purchased by brothers Aaron and Xavier Watson, Roemahkita stud, Cummins.
The 112kg ram tested 20.1 micron, 3.1 SD, 15.5 CV and 99.6pc CF with ASBVs in the top 5pc for WP and SM indexes and YCFW.
The brothers said they were looking to make a significant investment in the future breeding of their stud.
"We were on the hunt for a Wiringa 450 son," Aaron said.
"That was one of our main objectives for the weekend (at Bendigo).
"I think he will be a really good investment and make a big impact on the stud."
WP220450 was entered in the Turretfield Research Centre Sire Evaluation Trial (2024-drop) at Rosedale and was the number one ranked sire in all four index values - fine wool, wool production, sustainable Merino and Merino lamb.
