A near structurally flawless Poll Merino with long stapled, attractive wool from the Rices Creek stud, Saddleworth and Tintinara, rocketed to the $52,000 sale high at the Adelaide Merino ram sale on Friday.
Stud and commercial buyers from across Australia bid up for their picks in the sale widely regarded as the nation's premier multi-vendor Merino sale with the average up close to $1500 on 2021's result.
This year 53 of 58 rams from 19 SA and Vic studs averaged an outstanding $11,608, although there were some lulls among the frenzied bidding.
The sale's opening lot from Peter and Marianne Wallis, Glenlea Park stud, Keith, which had a $40,000 reserve publicly disclosed in a placard above the pen, sold for that figure with a single bid.
The buyer of the 20M ram was Boorana Merinos., Woorndoo, Vic, who have advanced their flock with Glenlea Park genetics for nearly a decade with buys including the sale topper at last year's Adelaide sale for $56,000.
Nyowee stud, Balaklava, bought a semen share in the deal.
Boorana classer Dale Bruns who bid on stud principal Will Lynch's behalf said they were excited with their purchase which had two of Glenlea Park's best ET donor ewes in its pedigree.
"The ram itself is extremely well balanced, it has a beautiful mobile skin and shows that beautiful well marked Glenlea Park wool that we have been chasing for a long time," he said.
"Will's stud is growing and this fella will certainly take us to the next step."
The ram's other wool measurements included a standard deviation of 3.1, coefficient of variation of 15.5 per cent and 99.7pc comfort factor.
Lot 3, another ram Glenlea Park is bound for WA selling to Kamballie stud, Tammin, with semen shares going to Cadonia Park and Belmont Park.
"They saw him in Bendigo and he has a great rich stud wool that is going to suit their country," Cousins Merino Services' Paul Cousins said.
Glenlea Park's five rams averaged an outstanding $17,600.
The sale's high came well into the sale at lot 40 with the sole lot from the Vandeleur family's Rices Creek stud.
Mark Vandeleur said his family who have been breeding Merinos since 1925 were rapt to smash their previous highest price of $20,000 received for a ram in 2020.
The 16 month old son of Collinsville Imperial 20 was carrying a 21.1M fleece with a 3.0SD, 14.2pcCV and 99.8CF.
It had been nicknamed 'Big John' by Mark's son Charlie.
"We didn't have to sell him, but we have a lot of Imperial 20 progeny so we thought we would let him go but we will still use a bit of semen out of him," Mr Vandeleur said.
Local studs Sharlu Park, Truro and Bradfield stud, Mannanarie, staved off some strong competition with their $52,000 final bid.
Sharlu Park's Luke Saegenschnitter said they had half brothers to the sale topper, using Imperial 20 genetics, but were keen to continue the bloodlines in their flock
"We spotted him at the Jamestown Merino Expo for his wool, his presence, he stands well, I can't really fault him," he said.
"We saw this opportunity and were lucky enough to get together with Stacey (Bradtke)- these opportunities don't come along that often."
Mr Bradtke said the 127 kilogram Rices Creek ram impressed with its "overall body size and softness and length of wool".
"We just thought it made sense to go half shares in a ram that will push us forward in our genetics
The McGauchie family, Terrick West stud, Prairie, Vic, made a strong return to Adelaide for the first time since 2019 with their three rams averaging an exceptional $21,333
This included a 17.9M son of Wallaloo Park 60- known as Jerry- which sold for $36,000 to Willandra stud, Jerilderie, NSW.
"It is an incredible honour to have people recognise what we are doing and want to incorporate it into their stud too," Claire McGauchie said.
"We think this is probably the top offering of Poll rams in the country and we just know that there are people coming to buy a top ram they will be coming to Adelaide."
Glendonald stud, Nhill, Vic, also translated their broad ribbon success in the Merino judging the previous day into some strong prices.
Lot 58- Glendonald's grand champion August shorn Merino ram was the highest priced horned ram of the sale at $24,000.
It was bought by Coban stud, Cunnamulla, Qld.
Ridgway Advance stud, Bordertown, followed up on a new $50,000 stud record achieved at the Classings Classic sale earlier in the week, with a $22,000 high for lot 35 in Adelaide.
It was bought by the Boughen family, Kamora Park, Karoonda and Belbourie stud, Marnoo, Vic.
Kamora Park had an impressive sale of their own with their two lots making $22,000 and $18,000.
Warren and Erikah Beattie , Mallee Hill stud, Ceduna, bought the first of these - an 18.9M son of Gunallo 463.
"His stand out is his wool which is very white and nourished, the quality of his wool goes right down his legs and under his belly," Mr Beattie said.
Elders stud stock manager Tony Wetherall said it was a very good sale and one in which both vendors and purchasers would be happy.
"Multivendor sales are always up and down a bit, this year was some rams didn't make as much as we thought they would and others probably made more," he said.
"What is represented here is well sought after all around the country and overseas, SA has a very good type and they are progressively getting better to meet the modern day Merino demands."
Nutrien stud stock manager Gordon Wood agreed it was another "tremendous" Adelaide ram sale.
"We see some of the top rams in the nation here and that pulls the buyers in," he said.
Mr Wood said this ram selling season he had noticed one of the "biggest tidal shifts" in the type of rams which buyers were looking for.
"People are wanting a modern type Merino, a real plain body, plain breech animal with some performance data, we are getting more of them in the shed here in Adelaide that fits the market," he said.
