THE Whitehill stud partnership was "over the moon" after their second on-property Poll Merino ram sale at Emu Downs on Friday.
Business partners Dale Button and Herb and Chris Ruediger sold 78 rams from 84 offered, averaging $1808, while eight sold from nine offered in mini auction after the main sale averaging $763.
Mrs Ruediger said the huge attendance on the day resulted in a "very vibrant" sale.
"We were over the moon," she said.
"The price held throughout the catalogue, showing consistency throughout the line-up."
The $1808 sale average was a $524 increase on the stud's inaugural 2020 sale.
The sale topped at $3800 twice. Both rams were by home-bred sire W76.
Lot 2 was purchased at $3800 by long-term clients SR&SF Waldhuter, Eudunda.
The April-May-drop ram had a 18.2-micron fleece with 2.8 standard deviation, 15.4 coefficient of variation and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.
It also had a body weight 12pc higher than the flock average and greasy fleece weight 25pc higher than the average.
The second top-price ram at lot 31 was bought by Andrew Mitchell, Chelwood Farming, Mintaro.
This spring-drop ram had figures of 115BW and133GFW, while its 16.3M fleece measured 2.8SD, 17.3CV and 100CF.
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The sale's $3600 second-highest price ram at lot 3 went home with long-time client Bin Bin Station, Lucindale, who bought another to average $2900.
Overall, 42 buyers registered for the sale, including 11 new clients, with rams sold locally, to the Riverland, South East, Mid North and Kangaroo Island.
Brenton Mosey, Mosoona Family Trust, Ngapala, who was the sale's biggest volume buyer, with 10 rams to $2000 twice, averaging $1660.
Chris Mosey, Tothill Belt, bought eight rams to $1600, averaging $1387; SL Oliver, Eudunda, purchased five averaging $2180; while the stud's first-ever client Edgehill Farm Trust, Tarlee, bought five rams averaging $1080.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien Ag Pfitzner & Kleinig, with stud stock's Leo Redden as the auctioneer.
Nutrien Ag Pfitzner & Kleinig agent Andrew Kleinig said the sale exceeded expectations.
"There was a lot of competition across the whole catalogue, particularly from locals, who had either experienced or have witnessed Whitehill rams perform in the paddock," he said.
"Their free-growing, open-type, bright, white wools with a bit of nourishment were certainly the more popular rams on the day."
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