Neills' record Royal sale

Their supreme interbreed ewe - which was also judged the supreme White Suffolk exhibit - made $4750 to Duncan Young, Oakwood White Suffolks, Balhannah.

Mr Young said he valued the importance of the genetics of the ewe side of his flock and felt the Wheetelande ewe would complement his existing high performance flock.

A paternal brother to the ewe, by Gemini 120207, attracted spirited competition before finally being knocked down at $22,000 to Leroy Hull, Kattata Well White Suffolks, Port Kenny, with Ben and Lucy Prentice, Kurralea White Suffolks, Ariah Park, NSW, holding a semen share in the ram.

It was the highest price paid at the sale since the 2009 world record price of $26,000 for a White Suffolk ram lamb.

Mr Hull said the ram appealed to him with its overall structure and a "long, solid, square sheep".

"His presence took my eye when I first saw him," he said.

The ram clocked in at 134.5 kilograms with an eye muscle depth of 52 millimetres and fat scan of 7.5mm.

Mr Hull said the most he had previously paid for a ram was $7000.

He plans to use the ram by natural service and AI, and will also sell semen from it.

Wheetelande's successful run continued with their next ram, by Detpa Grove 100247, making $11,000 to Kurralea.

The second highest price at $16,000 was for another White Suffolk ram offered by the Funke family, Bundara Downs, Bordertown.

Buyer Roger Wilkinson, Camborn Station, via Wentworth, NSW, said he liked the ram's thickness.

He also paid $12,000 for a Poll Dorset ram from the Rowett family's Ulandi Park stud, Kapunda, $10,000 for a ram from the Gilmore family's Baringa White Suffolk stud, Oberon, NSW, and $5000 for a ram from the Button family's Ramsay Park White Suffolk stud, Minlaton.

Mr Wilkinson said all these rams would meet his aims to breed thickset rams with good muscling.

He sells about 300 rams each year at his on-property sale in October.

In the breakdown, the 2015 elite sale sold 45 sheep from 58 offered to average $4983 - up from last year's average of $4870 for 27 sheep sold from 57 offered.

White Suffolks sold 33 from 40 offered, to a top of $22,000 and average of $5227.

Suffolks sold to $6500 for an Oakwood ram, with seven sold from eight offered at an average of $3679, while Poll Dorsets sold to $12,000 and averaged $5200 for five sold from 10 offered.