Shed was packed for combined sale where prices lifted across the board

Cars lined the driveway into the Quairading Greater Sports Ground and the ram selling shed was packed, with sires and buyers for this year's Quairading and District Stud Sheep Breeders Association incorporated combined ram sale.

Record registrations were coupled with increased numbers.

The 43 registered buyers were keen and the result was successful, with figures lifting across the board.

Nutrien auctioneer Grant Lupton said the atmosphere in the shed was palpable and was a great result for the vendors and the sheep industry, which is showing confidence after the uncertainty of the past year.

"It was an absolutely terrific turn out," Mr Lupton said.

"I did not quite expect the confidence and optimism that we saw today because the industry has only just started recovering.

"The atmosphere in the shed was just terrific, plenty of bidding, strong bidding and people with genuine interest in the sale.

"The breeders have done a wonderful job and presented an excellent line-up of sheep across all the breeds.

"I have been attending this sale for several years and I can see what the breeders have put into these sheep - and what they are doing is to the benefit of the purchasers.

"It was an absolutely quality offering.

"I have to give credit to Aaron Caldwell, Jake Finlayson and Daniel Luers from Nutrien, all who did a terrific job at the sale.

"The 149 rams offered was an increase of 10 from the previous year, with a 99 per cent clearance rate, equating to 147 rams successfully sold under the hammer."

Every one of the breeds had an increase in the top price and averages from last year's sale, by significant amounts.

The sale, as is tradition, started with 55 Poll Merino rams from two separate studs.

The start, with the 45 rams from Merna Poll Merino did not disappoint.

It was the big sire penned at number 17 that stole the show as the highest-priced ram on the day at $3100.

The competition was strong and it was Nutrien Livestock sheep development manager and Merino genetics, Mitchell Crosby, who was successful in holding off other bidders.

He purchased the ram on behalf of client Grant Mills, Lake Mears, Quairading, and said the quality of the ram really made it stand out.

"The ram had nice, white wool, under 19 micron, with beautiful crimp," Mr Crosby said.

"It had all this on a large frame, with great body weight.

"It was a heavy cutting fleece with a long staple, really everything the client wanted."

The ram weighed in at 106 kilograms, with August 12 wool test figures of 18.3 micron, 17.2pc co-efficient of variation (CV), a standard deviation (SD) of 3.1 micron, spinning fineness (SF) of 17.2 micron, a greasy fleece weight (GFW) of 7.6kg and a comfort factor (CF) of 99.8 per cent.

It was the sole purchase for Mr Grant at the sale.

There were two equal $2200 second top-priced rams in the Merna Poll Merinos and one of these went to regular volume, and former top-priced purchaser, Graeme Taylor, GM & JM Taylor, Wannamal, with his son Corey stepping in for the day and assisting, their stud classer, Elders district wool manager Brad Groves.

The Taylors purchased lot four, a big 100kg, 20.1 micron, 16.4pc CV, 3.3 micron SD, 18.8 micron SF, 7.3 GFW and 99.4pc CF for $2200.

In total, the Taylors purchased nine Merna Poll Merinios to the $2200 top, for an average of $1822.

The overall volume buyer of Merna Poll Merinos was DC & SF Squiers, Kweda, purchasing 12 to a top of $1700 and for an average of $1231.

Mernas averaged $1431 for 45 rams offered and sold, an increase of $328 in average price over last year.

Brett Johnston's, Argyle Park Poll Merino stud, Quairading, offered 10 sires this year and sold eight to a top price of $1500 twice, up by $500 from the previous year - and for an average of $1075, up by more than $231.

The two top-priced rams were purchased by regular long-term client, Craig Anderson, GW & E Anderson, Quairading, who attended the sale with his son Connor.

Mr Anderson said he was happy with the style of wool and size of the sheep he was able to breed using the Argyle Park genetics.

"The season is looking pretty good at the moment and it is good to see people having confidence to buy rams and stay in the industry," Mr Anderson said.

Argyle Park co-principal Brett Johnston said he was very pleased with the sale overall and said the clearances were very good.

"The atmosphere in the shed really was a breath of fresh air," Mr Johnston said.

"It was great to see people showing confidence in the sheep industry again and we can only hope this momentum continues, with both wool prices and returns in the sheep market."

Hampshire Downs

The Simpson family again entered four of its The Valley stud Hampshire Down breed rams - and there were new faces in with the crowd of regular buyers.

With only four sires, the competition was high and although they were the last breed to be sold, those vying for their share of the genetics on offer were not backing down in the bidding war.

This drove the $2400 top price Hampshire Down sire to be the second highest-priced ram of the entire sale.

The $2400 ram was purchased by first time buyers, father and son Hamish and Harry Milne, Borden.

The Milnes run their British breed rams over Merino ewes and their crossbred program is run on a separate property at Narrikup.

"We normally use Poll Dorset rams over Merino ewes," Harry said.

"We are still of course running the Poll Dorsets, but we wanted to try the Hampshire Down."

Hamish Mile said he had experience with the Hampshire Down breed when he was younger and really liked their eating quality.

"I first worked with Hampshire Down sheep 30 years ago when I was jackarooing," Mr Milne said.

"It was in Coonawarra, South Australia, at a property owned by the Seymours.

"I got to try them then and they tasted great, so when we saw the Simpsons had them here, we thought why not try them out.

"They really were delicious."

The Milnes purchased a second Hampshire Down ram for $1900 and averaged $2150.

Other buyers of the breed were RW & L Crombie, Corrigin, and BK & PJ Caporn, Shackelton and Quairading.

White Suffolk

The White Suffolk breed offering saw Sasimwa stud, York, again achieve the top price for the breed, at $1800, which was an increase of $550 from last year.

It was a complete clearance for all three White Suffolk studs and all reached higher prices and averages on the increased offering.

Sasimwa was the first of the White Suffolk breeders to put up its selection of 15 rams.

The $1800 top-priced Sasimwa ram attracted plenty of interest and was knocked down to new buyer, Gordon Stratford GE & LD Startford, Minnivale.

"They are a new client and I have not met them before," said Sasimwa stud principal Glenn Cole.

Sasimwa averaged $1547 across its 15 White Suffolks, an increase of $517.

The Simpson family's Barby Downs stud, Quairading, offered 18 White Suffolk rams this year, to a top of $1700, up by $650.

Paying the top price was new buyer, CJ Peacock, Quairading.

The Barby Downs average was $1256, up a significant $459 on last year.

The Johnston's Merna stud then offered 25 sires, selling all 25, to a top of $1600 three times, up $400 from the previous year's result.

The average was $1332, up by $290 from last year.

Poll Dorset

Merna Poll Dorsets offering of 10 rams, saw a complete clearance, with a top price of $1200 four times, which was shared between the two volume buyers of the catalogue - Benalong Grazing, Gingin for the final lot, while EW Richards & Sons, Quairading, purchased two of the top-priced sires via Westcoast Wool & Livestock York agent, Mark Fairclough.

Mr Fairclough said they were very familiar with the Merna Poll Dorsets and had purchased regularly before.

"They like the frame and especially the growth rate of the progeny they get from the Merna sires," Mr Fairclough said.

The other top-priced sire was purchased by Nutrien Livestock Goomalling representative Andrew O'Connor on behalf of Saint Fergus Farm, Toodyay.

South Suffolk

The Simpson family's Pettison Park South Suffolk stud increased its numbers to 12 this year and was not disappointed with yet another great 100pc clearance.

Three of their South Suffolk rams reached the $1700 top price, up by $350 from last year's top.

One of the top-priced rams sold to EW Richards & Sons, Quairading, another went to Matt Colotti, RuRock Farms, Herne Hill and the other went to regular and volume buyers, Kyle and Brett Caporn, BK & PJ Caporn, Quairading.

The Caporns use the South Suffolk sires over Merinos in their crossbred program.

"We like their frame and especially their early maturing quality," Kyle Caporn said.

"We usually sell them at 48-55kg (liveweight) as lambs, but this year they went at 56-60kg at five months old.

"They produce the best averages for carcase weight, they dress out at 24kg carcase weight on average.

"We get over 100pc lambing and have for around eight years and we don't preg scan."

The Caporn's bought six sires in total for an average of $1233.

Suffolk

The 10 Suffolk sires offered by the Sasimwa stud York, may have been the second last to go under the hammer, but they were by far the most-improved of the breeds from the previous sale.

It achieved a 100pc clearance and the $1600 top price was double last year's high for the breed, being realised four times.

The $1420 average was also $620 higher.

Sasimwa principal Glenn Cole said he reduced the numbers offered this year after looking at last year's results and he did not want to over supply the market on the day.

"I am really happy, how could I not be," Mr Cole said.

"I played it a little safe with numbers due to the sale being back so much last year.

"I think the sale at the Royal Show will be a good test for the market now, we will have to wait and see how that works out."