Borrika stud boosts sale av, top price

The sale reached a high of $6000 - $1000 up on last year - and averaged $1620, which was a $104 increase on 2020.

Sixty-five of the 79 rams offered sold under the hammer, with a further four sold immediately after the sale.

The top price ram went to Robert and Anne Simcock, Tailem Bend, who regularly operate at the sale's top end.

They purchased tag 33 - offered at lot 7 - a sire with a 19.3-micron fleece, 3.6 standard deviation, 18.4 coefficient of variation, and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.

The Simcocks bought six rams in total, averaging $3383.

Two lots later, Nyowee Poll Merino stud, Balaklava, paid $5000 for tag 37, a ram with a 19.3M fleece, 3.5SD, 18.1CV and 99.4CF.

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Woodoona principal Nick Wood said the top two rams were both sons of Nyowee J31 - a ram with a 16.5M fleece and 99.7CF bought for $11,000.

Volume buyers were in abundance at the sale, including Wyndham Props, Wyndham Station, Wentworth, NSW, which took home nine rams to $1800 twice, averaging $1211.

Keilira Props, Kingston SE, also bought nine rams to $2200, averaging $1875, while Yakkaroo Pastoral, Coomandook, averaged $2300 for four rams, and Bindmurra averaged $2275 for four.

Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood said having the top price ram going to regular clients showed the confidence they had in the sheep.

"The other obvious highlight was the ram which sold to Nyowee Poll Merino stud, which is one of the leading Poll Merino studs in SA, so for them to sell there is an accolade for the Wood family," he said.

"The sheep in general had a heap of white wool and really well-defined crimp - they are uncomplicated, fast-growing productive SA Merinos.

"The sale was solid but I think the paddock-run rams in the second half of the sale were somewhat underrated and good value buying."

The sale was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions, with Gordon Wood holding the gavel.