Before the bids had even started flowing Leo and Judy Blanch were just proud to offer their line of 42 Merino rams during their Westvale stud sale on Wednesday.
Regardless of the result that was to come the pair stood proudly behind their soft and nourished wools offered on their property near Wollun.
On the completion of the sale 36 of the 42 rams sold to average $1019, well up on the $876 average and 45 per cent clearance last year.
Prices peaked at $2100 for the second ram of the day, a two-and-a-half-year-old, March shorn ram secured by Ralph Price of Pyramul via Mudgee.
The son of Westvale Johnson weighed 125 kilograms with an impressive worm egg count of -36, a standard deviation of 3.0 and a coefficient variation of 18.1 per cent.
As soon as the sale finished the 16.6 micron ram was led out of the shed and loaded onto the back of Mr Price's ute alongside two other rams secured from Queenlee the day before, including the top price lot.
It was Mr Price's first time purchasing from Westvale after visiting the stud with his agent last year.
"I thought I'd come back and try one," he said.
"Just the size of the ram and quality of the wool, I hope it improves our stock."
Not far behind in price at $2000 was a substitute show ram who was secured by ID and MF Sole, Avoncliffe.
They went on to buy another two rams at $700 and $800.
Rams featuring some of the new sire lines from the Glenara stud were spread throughout the catalogue and buyers obviously bid fiercer to take them home.
This offered Leo Blanch plenty of confidence for the years ahead.
"We are using a couple of top rams from Glenara in Victoria and they have given us a little bit more staple length and are just good sheep," he said.
"The buyers have picked that, they have bid up well."
The good season had also allowed better competition on the rams and he was particularly pleased with the clearance.
Agents did comment that some of last year's bulk buyers were missing in 2021 as they continued to rebuild their ewe numbers. It wouldn't be until next year that those extra ewe lambs would be ready to join and they'd be in need of more rams.
Those who were in attendance though made the most of the opportunity with Charlie Webber of Woodville buying seven rams averaging $785.
While the Westvale sale had only been going for 37 years, Mr Webber had been buying on and off from the stud for some 40 years.
Judy recalled when he arrived at the property with the back seat missing from his vehicle and she had to assist in pushing his new ram into the vehicle.
Pat Cross secured six rams all from the two-and-a-half-year-old, March shorn draft and averaged $1083.
JRC and CR Chappell from Bridgewater also purchased six averaging $1183 while NG and RJ Heywood of Willowbank secured six averaging $866.
The sale was solid right up until the end with the last ram of the day still bringing in $1300.
Graham Andrews of Schute Bell handled the auctioneering with the bid spotting assistance of fellow sale agents from Nutrien.