"Impressive style" and "lots of crimp" were selling points for 36th sale

There was a shed full of superior, long-stapled and bright white wools at last week's 36th annual East Strathglen Merino and Poll Merino two-tooth sale at Tambellup.

Terminology like "impressive style" and "lots of crimp" were bandied around by the 23 registered buyers (with 19 successful biddes), who helped to clear all but 14 of the 134 pens for an overall average of $1483 under the hammer - $231 more than at the same time last year.

The extensive list of long-time and loyal clients in attendance was also added to by a couple of new and returning faces to the Sprigg family's sale, which helped to strengthen the $1372 Merino and $1688 Poll Merino averages for season 2025 - up from $1221 and $1252 respectively in 2024.

Despite having his hand forced by last year's sheep meat and wool market indicators to slightly reduce his sheep numbers in favour of more cropping hectares, faithful client Daniel Patterson, Redwood Enterprises Pty Ltd, Gnowangerup, was back at East Strathglen this year and confidently forked out the sale-topping price of $8200 to secure his favourite ram in the catalogue.

The lot three Merino was Mr Patterson's only purchase for the day and as such ticked every box in terms of its desired body size, wool quality, wool cut and carcase characteristics.

Accompanied in the lanes by two of his daughters, Bella and Georgia Patterson, Mr Patterson said he now runs about 3800 East Strathglen-blood Merino breeding ewes alongside 400 nucleus ewes compared to the 4500 ewes and 450 nucleus ewes he spoke to Farm Weekly about at last year's sale when he took home both the top-priced Poll Merino rams for $5000 apiece.

This year's ram, from the stud's prestigious Glendonald family, was one of 14 shed prepared and March shorn rams at the front of the catalogued line-up.

Its pen card displayed a 20.8 micron, 3.7 standard deviation (SD), 17.6 coefficient of variation (CV) and 98.9 per cent comfort factor (CF) to complement Mr Patterson's 19-19.5 micron commercial flock average.

"First and foremost, I was looking for crimpy wool," Mr Patterson said.

"And honestly, there's not much to fault with that ram.

"It's a near perfect sire in every aspect.

"I was drawn to its strong head, length of body, incredible depth and the way it stands really well on its feet.

"It also carries a substantial amount of fantastic wool."

The Patterson family farms over four locations throughout the Tambellup, Gnowangerup and Jerramungup shires, and at Jacup.

With most of his stock currently running at Gnowangerup, Mr Patterson said the season started tightly, but thanks to 90 millimetres of rain at just the right time on his southernmost farm, things have turned around in terms of feed availability.

"It has been great to experience both sides of the sheep operation - meat and wool production - turn around a bit in terms of pricing," he said.

"It's all well and good for many of us to reduce our sheep numbers to some extent, but at the end of the day cropping also comes with its own set of challenges.

"The sheep market price boost has given us a bit of extra confidence this year."

Last year, long-time client Mario Cristinelli, Cristinelli Grazing Co, Tambellup, forked out $6800 for the top-priced ram of the sale.

This year he was back in the lanes with son Flynn and by the end of the day's proceedings, had successfully secured the sale's second top-priced ram, an upstanding young Merino, for $5200.

The lot four sire measured a 20.5 micron, 3.5 SD, 17 CV and 99.7pc CF.

It was one of five Merinos purchased by the Cristinellis for an average of $2820.

Stud clients of more than 30 years, Ron and Anne Box, together with their son Lindsay, grandson Kallen, 9, and niece Belinda, G & M Box, Northampton, travelled more than 1600 kilometres to attend the sale and return home again.

On their return trip the family had two new rams in tow, including the top-priced Poll Merino of the sale for which they paid $5000.

The regulation April shorn ram filled the lot 22 pen and had wool figures of 19.7 micron, 3.0 SD, 15.4 CV and 99.8pc CF.

Its trailer mate, another Poll Merino, was lot 13 and worth $3200.

The Box family runs a commercial operation with about 2000 adult sheep, west of the Northampton townsite.

Ewes are joined at the end of December for a late May to June drop.

"We always choose nice, bright, white woolled sheep that are free growing, crimpy and have quick maturity," Lindsay Box said.

"We also felt like we needed to invest in some more top-quality rams, while the sheep market has improved.

"That way we can continue to move forward while maintaining the stock quality we already have in our long line of ewes bred from East Strathglen rams.

"These rams, with their superior condition, wool cut and heavy, quick growing bodies have proven themselves to us in our northern agricultural region.

"We receive 450mm of rainfall and endure harsh, dry summers and still the wools don't change one bit."

Subasio Downs farm manager, Barry McLeod, was the overall volume buyer and his purchasing power was felt right through to the end of the catalogue.

He put together a sizeable team of eight Merinos and 14 Poll Merinos (22 rams) on behalf of the Gnowellen-based landholding for an overall average of $1350 and top of $2500.

Other dominant accounts included that of brothers Will and Oli O'Keeffe, alongside their livestock overseer Lenny Sewell, KR & DH O'Keeffe, Gnowangerup.

Mr Sewell won the bid on 15 Merino rams for an average price of $1447.

Notable buyer Phil Horrocks, trading at PL & DM Horrocks, Cranbrook, filled his regular annual replacement needs with 12 Merinos and one Poll Merino, as did his son Joe Horrocks, WR, JR & JR Horrocks, Cranbrook, who bought 11 Merinos and three Poll Merinos.

It was the second time Joe had acquired rams from the reputable stud after he and two of his four siblings, Jack and Will, recently took on a Cranbrook lease block which included a line of East Strathglen ewes.

Kieron Haynes, Mark Haynes & Co, Frankland River, also amassed a team of 11 Merinos, while 10 other buyers procured smaller numbers to add to their existing onfarm sire batteries.

East Strathglen stud principal, Rohan Sprigg, said he was very happy with the result of the sale and was buoyed by the presence and buying habits of new clients like Raymond Noonan and his son Chevin, 11, Jameric Grazing, Kojonup and Brett Martin, DC Martin & Co, Wickepin.

He was also very grateful for the return clients who had found new confidence in the wool and sheep meat industries.

"Finding new homes for all the rams was the main thing and I can't thank our regular, first time and returning clients enough," Mr Sprigg said.

"I think the quality of the lineup was probably a bit better than last year regarding evenness of type.

"The season, in terms of the rams' preparation, was average to begin with but they have been finished in great conditions, with plentiful feed and the likes."

Elders Great Southern livestock agent, Clark Skinner, agreed and said the confidence instilled in sheep producers by the current and enhanced sheep meat and wool market settings could not be underestimated this sale season.

"It was an improved sale off the back of improved trading conditions within the sheep and wool market," Mr Skinner said.

"There was obvious positivity and spirited bidding throughout the front of the shed and plenty of opportunity left for upcoming buyers to purchase quality rams throughout the rest of the sale."