One Oak Poll Merino sold to a record auction price Friday on-farm at Jerilderie, with their top ram selling to $28,000 or nearly double last year's top.
The full draft also came back at a new record average with 110 rams for $3885.
Lot 4, a PP Poll ram, R19137, attracted a frenzy of bidding quickly going beyond $20,000 and eventually selling to Rodger and Kim Mathews from Borambil Merino stud, Corowa.
This most wanted stud sire was described as an all 'rounder with a balance of quality and volume in wool and meat', by Mr Wells.
His wool measured 19.1 micron with a standard deviation of 3.3 and a coefficient of variation of fibre diameter of 17.3.
The ram was DNA tested and is by Red-31, out of a special stud medium wool ewe.
Stud principal Alistair Wells said that R19137 had a balance of meat and wool that will breed on and exhibited a level of comfort factor that reflected the stud's ambitions.
"This ram is plain bodied with increased body weight and long staple wool," Mr Wells said.
Lot 8, R19198 by R-45 a full ET brother to Red-31, sold for $18,000 or $3000 above last year's top bid, going to Michael Green from Boudjah Merino stud, Cooma.
This younger ram was described as presenting with deeply crimped elite wool through to his points and underline. Carcase-wise he was square, solid and had the potential to easily fatten. His micron was 18.9 with a 2.9 SD and a CV of 15.3.
There were two lots that sold to $9000 including lot 11, R19136 with "free-combing, gutsy wool on a well put together and good doing body". His fleece measured 18.9 micron with a standard deviation of 3.5.
The other ram sold at that price was lot 20, B20118 produced by artificial insemination with 18.6 micron wool and 3.5 SD.
Volume buyers included Andrew and Catherine Browning, Jerilderie, who bought eight rams for an average of $4881; TM and J Caldwell, Young, purchased ten rams for an average of $3800, while Barry Carruthers and sons, Tullibigeal, purchased eight rams for an average of $3197, and long-term clients Mark and Helen Hoskinson, Fernleigh, bought nine rams for an average of $3887.
Mr Wells said embryo transfer had served One Oak Poll very well, and was worth the expense.
"Artifical insemination is cheaper upfront but less effective. With ET the genetics of both sides are dominant," he said.
Mr Wells with his wife Natasha and their children Amelia and Lachlan were thrilled with the sale result.
The sale was settled by Elders Jerilderie in association with Nutrien, Deniliquin.
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