Squiers' top ram to remain in WA

Strong eastern states interest and a few very avid WA breeders picked the eyes out of the All Breeds Ram and Ewe Sale held at the Perth Royal Show last week.

While only 24 of the 64 rams offered were sold, a change came over the sale when very active bidding on the top Poll Dorset rams pushed prices to a top of $11,500.

In their 50th year of meat sheep breeding and topping the sale, the Squiers family, of Shirlee Downs Poll Dorset stud, Quairading, had two reasons to celebrate the occasion.

Validating the success of the Squiers' stud, Allen Hathaway, of Brookton, paid the sale top price in order to continue upgrading his prime lamb flock with the best of what was on offer from Shirlee Downs. Mr Hathaway said he had used the stud's bloodlines for the past 35 years and would put the ram to work over his 350 pure Poll Dorset flock.

Chris Squiers said it was one of those momentous times when eastern states interest on the ram could not sway the bidding of a long-time client in pursuit of excellence.

"This year marks my family's 50th anniversary of breeding meat sheep, beginning with horn Dorsets in 1962," Mr Squiers said.

"We were pleased to top the sale and also have a strong average."

The Squiers sold five of six rams offered for an average price of $5550.

Also taking a stake in the Shirlee Downs historical sale catalogue was Gary Mitchell, of Glencraobh, Kojonup, who paid $6000 for a Poll Dorset ram.

The underbidder on the sale topper was Matt Reid, of Rowallan, Crowther, New South Wales, with Roy Addis, of Landmark, operating through a phone link-up.

Earlier in the sale, Mr Reid secured the $9500 second top-priced ram, a Hillcroft Farms Poll Dorset.

The Bradford family, of Hillcroft Farms, were very pleased to sell seven of the 10 rams offered for the top average price of $6321.

"It was another strong sale for us," Dawson Bradford said, referring to last year when the stud sold seven rams to a record top-price of $20,000 and average of $11,071.

This year, while five of the Hillcroft Farms rams offered were sold to eastern states buyers, it was Don McKinley, of Moore Park Poll Dorset stud, Moora, who secured the $8000 third top-priced ram from the stud.

A Hillcroft Poll Dorset ram, which was ranked number one on Lambplan, sold for $7000 to Ingpen Farms, of Ruroa, Victoria.

The sale began with the South Suffolk offering from Iveston stud, of Williams, with two rams selling for $3000 and $2000.

While the top-priced Iveston ram is off to the Sinclair family, of Newdegate, the second top was bought by the Moffat family, of Wagin.

Pamellen Suffolk stud found a $1500 buyer in RD & SM Crombie, of Corrigin.

In the White Suffolk catalogue, a $3000 Iveston ram was sold to BR Weiss & Son, of Narrogin, while $3000 Brimfield rams sold to AT & JI Watterson & Son of Tenterden, and Daniel Griffiths, of Karragullen.