A crowd of 28 registered bidders gathered at the Alfoxton Merino ram sale on Monday but the biggest competition came from outside the sale barn with online and interstate buyers snapping up the top end of the draft.
The Armidale sale of Chris and Cindy Clonan "exceeded all expectations" when the on-property top price record hit a new height of $7500.
A total of 51 rams from 64 offered were sold under the hammer but another three sales not longer after helped secure a $2250 average for the largely poll draft.
Nutrien fine wool specialist Ted Wilson travelled from Geelong to attend the sale and acted on behalf of the top price buyers, Kelvedon Merino stud at Swansea, Tasmania.
The specialist super fine woolgrowers held Alfoxton's previous on-property top price record of $6000 back in 2018 and this year also took home a 17.1 micron ram for $4000.
Both were by Alfoxton 17-543 with the top price ram boasting a yearling clean fleece weight of 18, a 16.2 micron and comfort factor of 99.85 per cent.
The two on-property rams would also join another sire purchased from the recent Armidale Merino Ram Show and Sale.
"They are specialist super fine woolgrowers so they are just really after that magnificent handling wool, just beautiful handling wool, soft and stylish," Mr Wilson said.
"They (the rams) work really well there, it's a similar sort of climate.
"It can be hot and dry in the summer but they are pretty tough cold winters down there so they do very well."
The Westmore family of Launceston in Tasmania secured four rams averaging $1750 while AuctionsPlus accounted for six rams with all but one going to Tasmania.
Stud principal Chris Clonan was very pleased with the the support from Tasmanian buyers who had previously bought rams at Bendigo.
"A fair percentage of our rams go to Tasmania now and they have come to us, we haven't gone to them," he said.
"They have seen our genetics in Bendigo and they have bought there and now they are prepared to come on farm, which I was dreaming of happening but up until now it hadn't happened.
"I think having our sale on AuctionsPlus helped. We did it two years ago and we sold one ram but we didn't have the detail in AuctionsPlus like we had this year."
This year's sale also attracted new clients including Loan Pine Agriculture, Nullamanna, who secured three rams averaging $2166.
Another new face in the crowd was Milparinka Pastoral Co, Guyra, who were equal bulk buyers with five rams averaging $3500.
The Matthews family of Garden Creek Partnership from Tenterfield also secured five averaging $1200, all polled and non-mulesed.
Having bought five rams last year, the hardiness of the rams and doability in their country kept them coming back.
"They are good stylish sheep, once you have got something good you stick to it," Luke Matthews said.
Rams also sold to Leyburn, Walcha, Armidale, Dundee, Matheson, Glen Innes, Bundarra and Stanthorpe in Queensland.
Elders handled the sale with Paul Dooley controlling the bids.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
