Hefty bodyweights, long frames and a superior wool clip draw in the bidders

A textbook spring day set the backdrop for yet another successful Mianelup Poll Merino on-property ram sale on the outskirts of Gnowangerup.

Year-in, year-out stud principal, Elliot Richardson, prepares and pens an outstanding line-up of rams with hefty bodyweights, long frames and a superior wool clip.

This year was no different.

At the same time last year, commercial Merino producers in the Gnowangerup region had yet to reassess the size of their flocks, while several other pockets of the Great Southern had already witnessed an obvious decline in breeding ewe numbers, thanks to a slew of challenging industry circumstances.

Despite the great season currently being experienced in the region, there were still a couple of usual faces missing from the day's auction, mostly from further afield, which slightly affected the overall clearance.

That being said, Mr Richardson was on the front foot and had prepared by adjusting the size of the catalogue accordingly, dropping the numbers from 100 head in 2024 to 78 this year.

But a few less numbers didn't stop the diehard Mianelup followers in attendance from bidding up for their desired lots.

In fact, the slightly smaller offering may have even moved buyers to dig more deeply into their pockets to secure their favourite rams with plenty of lots in the latter half of the catalogue reaching sales figures well into the high $2000 range thanks to fierce competition at the rail.

This year's April and May 2024-drop, true to type and very even sale team averaged a 106 kilogram bodyweight, 3.6 greasy fleece weight (GFW), 20.6 micron, 3mm fat and 30.2mm eye muscle depth (EMD) recordings.

Sale Summary

• (Under the hammer results)
• Offered: 78
• Sold: 70
• Top: $4500
• Gross: $148,400
• Average: $2120

The GFW, fat and EMD data provided for each ram was expressed as a percentage of those averages.

The Mianelup dataset also revealed it was a bigger and heavier team this year, with last year's line-up averaging an 87.7kg bodyweight, 3.6kg GFW, 17.9 micron, 2.1mm fat and 25.5mm EMD result.

With plenty of big, heavy rams laden with bright, white wools to choose from all but three of the 18 registered buyers assisted in clearing 70 young sires for an under the hammer average of $2120 - up $415 on last year's outcome.

One of the most discerning bidders in the shed was Digby Richardson, Chirelillup Farming Co, Gnowangerup.

Having grown up in the fifth-generation Mianelup Merino stud fold, alongside his brother Elliot (and sister Elizabeth), he knew exactly the type of ram he was looking for.

Mr Richardson paid the sale's $4500 top price for lot one.

Muscle scanned on June 17 and wool tested on August 26, the 20 micron, April 17-shorn, paddock-run ram recorded a 117 per cent fat, 109pc EMD, 111pc GFW, 3 standard deviation (SD), 99.4pc comfort factor (CF) and 14.8 coefficient of variation (CV).

"I was really happy to get him because I thought he'd make more money to be honest," Mr Richardson said.

"He's a top ram that was ET bred on both sides of his lineage.

"He's big, correct and carries bright, white wool."

The 107kg ram was sired by Wallaloo Park 422, which according to Mr Richardson had "bred a lot of top sires throughout Australia".

"That sire died some time ago so its semen is in short supply," he said.

"I couldn't miss the opportunity to buy into its genetics while they're still around.

"I think this ram will probably be one of the last sons ever offered."

Mr Richardson was also very well-rehearsed in the ram's maternal lineage.

"There are three or four generations of superior Mianelup breeding on its dam's side too," he said.

Mr Richardson runs a 2000 head Mianelup-blood commercial sheep and cropping operation just down the road.

His new ram, along with the lot four ram he bought for $4000, will be joined for six weeks from February 1, 2026, for a July 1 to mid-August lambing period.

Both of his new rams were integral to Mianelup's success at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale, held in Katanning during August.

The pair made up half of the stud's winning Elders Expo Four team, along with lot two (and another sire), which was bought on sale day by childhood friend, loyal client and fellow Merino authority Locky Lewis, Pallinup River Stud Farm, Gnowangerup, for $4000.

Mr Lewis, flanked by his young son Maxwell, was also responsible for the purchase of the $4200 second top-priced ram that stood in lot eight.

Sired by Glenlea Park 741, the 113kg animal displayed equally impressive wool and carcase attributes including 100pc fat, 107pc EMD, 83pc GFW, 19.8 micron, 2.7 SD, 99.6pc CF and 13.7 CV figures.

All three of the rams he procured were the perfect example of what Mr Lewis looks for at the sale each season - they were long in the body and had good style and spring of rib, with wool figures to match.

"They'll be mated to a group of specially selected Pallinup stud ewes to breed more stud ewes for mating to Pallinup rams," Mr Lewis said.

Faithful Mianelup patron Paul Cunningham, KJ Cunningham, Tambellup, was the volume buyer for yet another year in a row.

He amassed a team of 16 rams for a top of $3800 (twice) and an average of $1813.

Mr Cunningham has been investing in Mianelup genetics for about seven years.

He made the move to Mianelup after the Shepherdson family offloaded its Gnowangerup-based Anglesey Merino stud in 2018.

Next season he'll join 3500 Mianelup-blood ewes to Mianelup rams and 1200 to prime lamb production sires.

Historically, Mr Cunningham focuses on rams with stylish fleeces, early maturity, GFW data and EMD results - and it was the same story this time around.

Brothers Will and Oli O'Keeffe, together with their livestock overseer Lenny Sewell, KR & DH O'Keeffe, Gnowangerup, were familiar faces at the sale.

The trio amassed a team of 10 rams to join their sheep and cropping operation - a 7500-strong self-replacing flock of Merino ewes with about 4800 joined to Merino rams and the rest to Poll Dorset sires.

Mr Sewell who did the bidding bought to a top price of $3800 and average of $2280.

Nutrien Livestock, Gnowangerup agent, Darren Robertson, and trainee Annabelle Broun paid a top of $3500 and average of $2438 for eight young rams on behalf of Alan Price, Wandering, while Nathan Waldron, WEV & JE Waldron, Cranbrook, bought seven further along in the catalogue for an average of $1200.

Mianelup principal Elliot Richardson said he was hugely appreciative of his family's stud clients, both longstanding and those new to his shed.

"Because of them we get to enjoy doing something we love," Mr Richardson said.

"I thought it was our best and most consistent lineup of rams we've ever presented.

"We are excited for the future of Merinos and we'll continue to go full steam ahead."

Elders stud stock sales specialist, Russell McKay, was really impressed by the uniformity of the sale team.

"There is no disputing the consistency of this year's Mianelup offering," Mr McKay said.

"I thought it was a very even lineup of rams showing beautiful nourishment right through to the tip.

"The entire sale team was grown on pasture - the rams haven't been on feeders, so they're very much a paddock-oriented sheep that are in excellent condition.

"They showed good depth and there was some very good buying in the sale."