SPIRITED Australia-wide and international bidding pushed the South Australian Stud Merino and Poll Merino Ram Sale in Adelaide last week to just shy of last year's record average and WA buyers played a part in achieving this.
Expectations based on buoyant South Australian on-property sales and a great season were for prices to go even higher, but the sale started tentatively before finding its momentum.
The 74 rams sold from the 83 offered by 22 South Australian and Victorian studs averaged $8844, while a ewe sold for $6000.
Eight rams made $20,000 or more, including the $40,000 sale-topper.
For the second consecutive year, top price honours went to Geoff and Bernadette Davidson, Moorundie, Keith, South Australia.
Elders stud stock auctioneer Tony Wetherall described the 19.9-micron ram, earlier judged reserve champion strong wool Poll Merino, as "oozing stud potential", setting off a flurry of bidding.
The successful buyers of NE595 were the Smith family, Glenville stud, Cowell, South Australia.
Glenville stud co-principal Daryl Smith said it had "perfect conformation" and outstanding meat and wool traits.
"It has a good meaty back end, something we are trying to keep up with the meat job so good, and great coverage of wool with excellent crimp and thickness," he said.
"One of the main things was its purity of skin - there are no blemishes anywhere."
Its wool tests included 3.0 SD, 15.1 CV and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
The sale topper was bred in the purple, sired by NE20 - the same family which produced Moorundie's $30,000 top price ram at the Hamilton Sheepvention sale in Victoria last month.
Mr Davidson said the ram had many half brothers and relatives in studs consistently performing well.
"The Smiths have had good sheep for generations and we know it will mesh in well with what they are doing," he said.
Moorundie easily topped the sale averages, with their three rams averaging $31,667.
"It was great to see several people operating on our rams and showing faith in our genetics," Mr Davidson said.
The Davidsons also sold the $34,000 second-highest price ram.
The 21 micron ram, sired by Poll Boonoke syndicate, was knocked down to Mark Kerin, GullenGamble, Yeoval, New South Wales.
Its wool tests included a 2.7SD, 12.9CV and 99.9pc CF.
The other ram in the Moorundie trio sold at $21,000 to DP Adams, Edenhope, Victoria.
The third-highest price in the sale was $33,000 for a 21.1 micron Imperial 111 son sold by the Collinsville stud, Hallett, South Australia.
It sold to Pedro Schmalz, Shaman Pastoral Company, Argentina, who has bought seven rams from the stud in the past decade.
The Dalla family, Orrie Cowie stud, Warooka, South Australia, sold the highest price Merino ram at $22,000.
The 19 micron son of Promotor 187 sold to Steve and Brett Koehler, Radnor stud, Brinkley South Australia.
Orrie Cowie also sold a feature lot - a ewe which sold for $6000 to long term clients the Lange family, Narrogin.
The full wool two-year-old ewe weighed 107kg in August and had wool figures of 19.8 micron, 3.0 SD and 99.8pc CF.
The ewe was sashed the champion medium/strong August shorn ewe at the 2016 Canberra Show.
It was described in the catalogue as a full-bodied, square ewe that is well-covered with long-stapled, 'rich' bulky medium wool. Also heading west at $22,000 was a 20.8 micron Autumn-shorn Poll Merino ram from the Meyer family's Mulloorie stud, Brinkworth, South Australia.
This ram sold to the Richardson family's Mianelup stud, Gnowangerup.
Mianelup co-principal Elliot Richardson said he went over to the sale looking for a ram and picked the Mulloorie sire out on the day.
"He is a very big correct ram with a real rich, crimpy white wool and he has lots of it."
The 121kg ram will be a new bloodline for the Mianelup stud.
The Hall family's Monte-Verde stud, Tenterden, was also in the thick of the buying action.
They paid $10,000 for the lead Poll Merino ram from the Charinga stud, St Arnaud, Victoria.
Also heading to WA was a Moorundie Park sire at $5500 which was purchased by the Blight family, Seymour Park stud, Highbury.
The 15-month-old Poll ram was by B306 and had wool figures of $19.9 micron, 3.1 SD, 15.6 CV and 99.8pc CF.
Elders stud stock manager Tony Wetherall said the great sale result reflected the strong bidding and large geographical spread of buyers.
"People are always selective, with the very best selling extremely well when they form syndicates," he said.
"We saw some of the other studs looking at $5000 to $20,000 rams and a good content of commercial buyers to back it up."
Landmark stud stock manager Gordon Wood said the sale reaffirmed Adelaide as the "top end" Merino sale in Australia.
He said studs were reaping the rewards of investing in top end genetics.
"They are seeing their on-property prices and averages come up and they are saying we can afford to add a bit more to budgets," he said.
