Davies family call time on Cardiff Merino and Poll Merino stud after 40 years of selling in the Wheatbelt

One of the Wheatbelt’s most well-known families have bid farewell to their ram stud with a final sale that reached a top price of $7400. It was a reunion of sorts for the Davies family of Yorkrakine, with members from across WA turning out at Dianne and Quentin Davies’ property for the Cardiff Merinos and Poll Merino stud’s final sale on Thursday, August 24. Among the guests were the couple’s niece and Central Wheatbelt MLC Mia Davies, who grew up on a neighbouring farm, Roe MLA Peter Rundle, and Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud. It marked the stud’s fifth on-property sale and 35th sale in total since founding the stud in 1985. On offer were 465 Merino ewes, aged between one and four years old, and 120 2022-drop Merino and Poll Merino rams — with a clearance of 110 rams and 465 ewes. The rams averaged $1653 collectively, with the 82 Merinos sold for an average of $1731 and the 28 Poll Merinos for an average of $1425. The ewes sold to a top of $310/head from a pen of 34 and collectively 345 head sold for a gross $91,430 to average $265/head. It was a successful sale, with the top Merino ram reaching $7400 and the top Poll Merino $5600. Addressing the crowd at the start of the sale, a composed Mr Davies had a long list of family, supporters, and friends to thank before the first hammer fell. “This sale doesn’t happen without help from neighbours, and I have some real rippers,” he said. “The biggest thing that keeps a stud going is the dedication to your sheep-buying clients. “I’ve made some great friends of clients over the years and hope those friendships can continue.” The stud was founded by Mr Davies’ late father Lloyd Davies in 1989, and first offered four rams at the Wyalkatchem Merino Breeders’ ram sale that same year. After selling at the Wyalkatchem Merino Breeders ram sale for 29 years, the Davies family held their first on-property sale at their Yorkrakine farm in 2019. That first on-property sale coincided with the stud’s 30th anniversary of selling at auction, with a total clearance of the 120-ram catalogue and an average of $1713. Mr Davies said it was time for he and his wife to “wind back”, with plans to still run their commercial flock at Yorkrakine but to spend more time on the coast and with their two grandchildren. The well-known farmer is also retiring from the Shire of Wyalkatchem, where he has served as a councillor for nearly 20 years and as president for nearly 10 of those. Father and son team Wayne and Glenn Smith, of Northam, bought the top-priced ram for $7400. The pair run Wongamine Grazing and have been buying from Cardiff for about seven years. They run 3500 mated ewes and breed their own Merino rams. Wayne said it was clear the ram had “outstanding wool quality”, and the pair were keen to add a new bloodline to their flock. They bought three rams, with the other two purchased for $4400 and $4200 each. “It’s the end of the line and the end of the era,” Wayne said. “The Cardiff rams have good genetics, and they have worked well for us. “The top priced ram had great size and wool quality… it was a stand out to us.” Throughout the day, Mr Davies also thanked his long-time stud Elders classer Kevin Broad and the Jumbuck Shearing crew which have most recently been led by Pink Shearing for Liz Day founder and gun shearer Tom Reed. Mr Davies said Elders had been an enormous help since founding the stud, and had been “part of the family” in the years that followed. A book of photographs showing the stud’s history was passed around during the sale, with Mr Davies saying the photo of his “old man” showed his clear pride in the stud’s achievements. “He would have been so proud to see the brothers here together today,” Mr Davies said. “He would have been chuffed to see this many rams penned up.” Finally, Mr Davies paid tribute to his wife Dianne and three daughters Jordy, Felicity and Keisha, who he said had given him “so much support” since taking over the stud in 2005. “There have been many times I have gone to a ram sale and not appeared for four or five days, and they have always been so supportive,” he said. “They do so much work to make the stud and sale happen.” Among the rams penned up was a special one with a pink sign saying all proceeds from its sale would be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Centre WA. The money raised will be added to the total for this year’s Pink Shearing for Liz Day — one of the Wheatbelt’s biggest charitable events that has raised more than $400,000 for cancer research in nine years. The annual affair is co-ordinated by the Jumbuck Shearing Team and held in a pink-themed shearing shed at the Davies’ property each year, in honour of Mr Reed and his wife Lucy’s friend Albany woman Liz Roberts. Des Haywood has been farming at Goomalling for 70 years, but this was his first time buying the Pink Shearing for Liz Day charity ram, despite attending the Davies’ ram sale for the past decade. He said he was inspired to put his hand up as the highest bidder for two reasons — because it was a “good ram”, and he had battled cancer himself. “I had bowel cancer 26 years ago… I’m good now, my problem is my knees,” he laughed. “It is a good cause and the Davies family have done such a wonderful job with the charity sale. “I liked the ram’s style, he was a beautiful ram. Tom (Reed) picked him out for us, and he is a very good judge.” Mr Haywood runs a commercial flock of 1000 breeding Merino ewes with his son Dean Haywood not far out of Goomalling. “I like the sheep here…. I have always been happy with them,” he said. “They have the Woodyarrup Merino bloodline through them, which is where my main flock came from..” Mr Haywood said he bought eight rams for an average of “$2000 something”. Wyalkatchem farmer Steve Gamble has been attending the Davies’ ram sales since the very beginning, buying from his “good friends” for decades. He said the family’s rams had an impressive wool type. “They have come a long way and are a bit plainer, which I like,” he said. “The dispersal is a sad and historic day for our Wyalkatchem community. Quentin is my mate and I understand why he is doing it. I am happy for him.” This year’s Pink Shearing for Liz Day will be held on September 9.