History was made at Glenlea Park Poll Merino stud's 46th annual sale held for the first time at their South East property near Keith and in a brand new ram sale complex.
Easily the stud's biggest sale crowd ever -with around 80 registered bidders-witnessed a new state record average for on-property Merino sales on Friday.
In just two hours 157 of the 160 rams offered by Peter and Marianne Wallis averaged an incredible $4286.
It smashed Glenlea Park's 2021 sale average of $3567 when 161 of 165 rams were sold at their Pinnaroo property.
In the fast paced sale, four rams made $10,000 or more, including the $19,000 sale topper at lot 18.
Repeat commercial clients Neil and Colin Coates, St Arnaud, Vic, put in the winning bid described the 19.3 micron ram, GP21-1021, which had been born a twin as "very special" in his wool quality and structure.
"He has that brilliant crimpy, lustre wool and the way he stands with his head up," Neil said.
The 104.5 kilogram ram's wool measurements included a standard deviation of 2.6, coefficient of variation of 13.5 per cent and comfort factor of 99.9pc.
"We sell a few rams too which is why we have a higher expectation in what we buy," Colin added.
Underbidder on the sale topper Frank Byrne, Panorama Poll Merinos, Bendigo, Vic, outlaid $6000 for lot 51.
Lot 3, a 19.3M ram sired by GP191120 was the second highest price of $16,000.
It sold to McPiggery, Lameroo and Gunallo stud, Pinnaroo.
McPiggery classer, Sheep Scope's Rob Russell said the "extreme brightness, staple length and crimp definition" of the ram would fit the two programs well.
"That ram could go anywhere with that brightness," he said.
Nariel Pty Ltd, Nhill, Vic, led the volume buying with 18 rams to $4500, averaging $2450.
Other big buyers included DA&JC Murdoch, Apsley, Vic, taking home eight rams to $5000 for a $3388 average and Nadia Farming, Loxton, with six rams to $2500, averaging $1967.
Six rams also sold online to Yass, NSW.
Mr Wallis was rapt with the support and to see their sheep head into such a range of environments.
" People only invest in things they have confidence that they are going to get a return from so for our clients to put forward that sort of investment shows that the rams are really working or they wouldn't do it- that is pretty exciting for us," he said.
He admitted he was not a natural salesman but loved the challenge of continually improving their sheep.
"The main reason I am in it is that I love the challenge of trying to match a ewe with whatever her attributes to a ram with his attributes and come up with progeny that is better than the previous generation," he said.
Spence Dix & Co's Luke Schreiber said the sale was well beyond everyone's expectations
"I have been lucky enough to sell at some amazing studs but this was next level," he said.
There were a few rams sold to studs but Mr Schreiber said the sale's success was underpinned by some commercial clients prepared to go to $6000 to $8000 for their pick rams.
"Pete's sheep are at the top of where everyone wants to be and his commercial clients have followed him and were prepared to step up to buy the sheep," he said.
"There was an eagerness and willingness by these commercial guys to go to levels they never had before for the rams they wanted and no one after the sale was complaining about the prices
Mr Schreiber said the quality of the sheep were "unbelievable" and testament to the evenness of the line-up noted that the final lot- lot 160 made $5600 which was more than lot 1 at $5000.
"There has been a lot of emphasis on body and and you could see the extra hindquarter and carcase traits in them but the quality of the wools is so good too with a lot of nourishment and lustre and a lot of heavy cutting rams with uncomplicated skins."
He also congratulated Peter and Marianne and said it was reward for the tremendous effort they put in.
Also receiving plenty of interest were the five rams Glenlea Park will be offering in next month's Adelaide Merino ram sale and three rams earmarked for the Dubbo sale later this month.
Spence Dix & Co and PPHS were joint selling agents with Josh Manser sharing the rostrum with Mr Schreiber.