Almost nationwide buying support at Glenlea Park Poll Merino stud's 43rd annual ram sale last Friday helped re-write the history books for SA on-property ram auctions for the breed.
Last year, Peter and Marianne Wallis posted an exceptional $2960 average at their Pinnaroo property but this year they smashed it by more than $600.
In the breakdown, 161 of 165 rams sold to SA, Vic, WA, NSW and Tas for a new SA on-property record average of $3567.
Four rams made $10,000 or more- three of these heading to studs- but it was the consistent, high order bidding from both new and repeat commercial clients that made it a sale to remember.
Even in the final stages of the auction, big framed, carcase sheep with great wool quality were making $2000-$2600.
An embryo transfer bred son of GP382 stole the show much earlier at lot 10, selling to Will Lynch, Boorana stud, Woorndoo, Vic, for $25,000.
"We have used GP382 a couple of times in AI programs but it is always good to have a son of his on the ground doing the job," Mr Lynch said.
The sale topper, GP108, had tremendous presence and was the heaviest in the catalogue at 133.5 kilograms with an eye muscle depth of 42mm and 8.5mm fat depth.
The 21.6 micron ram also had impressive wool tests with a standard deviation of 3.1, coefficient of variation of 14.5 and comfort factor of 99.6 per cent.
Mr Lynch said they were achieving outstanding results with Glenlea Park bloodlines which had gave him the confidence to bid up.
Among Boorana's recent purchases was $100,000 ram GP173 'Smithy' at the 2019 Adelaide Merino ram sale.
Warren and Erikah Beattie, Mallee Hill, Ceduna, led the SA stud buying charge venturing to Glenlea Park for the first time after being impressed by the AuctionsPlus videos of the stud's Adelaide sale team.
The Beatties threw in an opening bid of $10,000 for lot 18 and chased the son of 'Smithy all the way to $22,000.
They are confident their 19.0M pick will take their stud to "the next level" with the ram's dam also breeding a ram which Glenlea Park sold for $46,000 at the 2020 Adelaide Merino ram sale.
"Despite his plain skin he has very productive, awesome white crimpy wool, his growth rate is outstanding and his bone and constition was terrific," he said.
Glenlea Park's classer Andrew Calvert, from Tas was the successful bidder on lot 6, for CJ&PJ Haselby, Mulga Springs stud, Northampton, WA, for $13,000.
Mr Calvert said the ram appealed for its "sheer scale and beautiful, bold crimping, soft wool."
For the same money Duane Simon, McPiggery, Lameroo, secured lot 22- a full brother to Smithy.
Overall 12 sons of Smithy in the sale averaged $4825.
Nariel Pty Ltd, Lawloit, Vic, was the sale's largest volume buyer with 14 rams to $4000, av $2435
DA&JC Murdoch, Apsley, Vic, took home 10 rams to $4000, averaging $3030.
Mill Park stud, Meningie, secured eight rams to $5000 twice and averaged $4438 and LC&BJ Singh, Loxton, also put together eight rams to $4000, av $2812.
We never could have foreseen this.
- Peter Wallis, Glenlea Park stud principal
Like many sales this season AuctionsPlus was a major player securing 10 lots from 79 bids.
Mr Wallis said it was an "unbelievable" result.
"I never thought we would ever get close to last year's sale average but I am happy to be proven wrong," he said.
Mr Wallis said he was confident in the quality of the catalogue but said there were some concerns leading into the sale with several Vic clients refused permits to enter SA, and the very dry season all threatening to dampen the sale.
"The seasonal conditions in the Mallee and Riverland have been very difficult until very recently and we knew a number of our bigger clients had been forced to reduce their stock numbers so we knew some of our volume clients would be significantly down on their purchases," he said.
"We knew this would impact on the sale but we didn't know how much, we never could have foreseen this."
Spence Dix & Co auctioneer Luke Schreiber said it was the strongest sale he had ever been a part of.
"There were those good rams making $20,000 or more but the amount of flock rams where guys were prepared to go at $3000 to $5000 and right through to lot 130 and 140 showed the faith they have in the sheep," he said.
"There are plenty of repeat buyers, guys with pure Glenlea Park blood that are getting the results with the progeny and keep coming back."
Mr Schreiber was hugely impressed by the depth of quality and dual purpose attributes.
"His (Peter's) wools were spot on, they were white, they were well-crimped, they were solid right through the sale and the bodies... well the figures speak for themselves and they are so square," he said.
Spence Dix & Co and PPHS were joint selling agents with Josh Manser sharing the auctioneering duties with Mr Schreiber.
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