Close to 90 rams from 20 Poll Merino studs sold to a large field of commercial and stud buyers at another strong Classings Classic sale at Murray Bridge on Monday.
Some of the best sires from across SA and Vic found homes in four states to an average of $6028.
There were highlights across participating agencies and states, with 12 rams in total reaching five figure prices.
While the sale's average was back about $1800 on an exceptional 2022, it was up on 2021 and sale organiser, Classings Limited's Bill Walker, thought it reflected the wool and sheepmeat markets being at their lowest simultaneously in more than a decade.
"Our industry relevant Poll Merino lineup looked a treat with the top end handsomely rewarded throughout," he said.
"There were more sales to studs this year compared to other efforts where the sway has been more to the commercial grower.
"This, I think, was due to on-property averages generally being lower this year thus making purchasing much easier on the pocket."
A long-time supporter of the Classings Classic, Ridgway Advance, Senior, again featured with the sale's highest price - a $35,000 ram rated highly on both wool and carcase quality headed to White River, Minnipa and Poochera.
Buyer Wes Daniell said he had visually inspected the sire at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in July and thought it would contribute a variety of strong wool traits to his stud.
"He's got an extra long staple with freeness, as well as extra crimp quality," he said.
"He has really good ASBVs, in particular his clean fleece weight and staple length. He has a very uncomplicated and an eye muscle depth of 50 which we're after as well."
The 115-kilogram ram ranked in the top 5 per cent on its clean fleece weight measure at 36.0, while its staple length measured 14.9.
It carried a 19.1 micron fleece, with 2.9 standard deviation and 15.4 coefficient of variation.
Willera, Vic, sold its three rams to $16,000, averaging $9333; Mernowie, Marrabel, sold its three to $9000, averaging $6333; Gunallo, Panitya, Vic, sold 7 of 8 to $10,000 twice and averaged $7571 with one ram not reaching its reserve; SWM, Tintinara, sold both its rams at $5000; Ramsgate, Tintinara, sold its three to $11,000, averaging $7000, while both of Caroonboon's, Wanganella, NSW, rams were passed in.
Sohnic, Marnoo, Vic, sold 2 of 4 rams to $3750, averaging $3375, with another bid on but not reaching stud reserve; Forest Springs, Joel Joel, Vic, sold eight rams to $11,000, averaging $5313; Benefield, Murray Bridge, sold one ram at $3500 and another did not reach stud reserve at $8000; Flairdale, Cooke Plains, sold three to $5500, averaging $3833; Ridgway, Lameroo, sold five of six to $8500, averaging $4900.
Hynam, Longwood, Vic, sold four of five to $8000, averaging $4250; Coleburra sold both it rams, averaging $7500; Lucernbrae, Callington, sold six of eight, averaging $2250; Nantoura, Wharminda, sold both offered, averaging $2750; Belbourie, Marnoo, Vic, sold two to $9500, averaging $5750; Hannaton, Kaniva, Vic, sold two, averaging $4000; and Wallaloo Park, Marnoo, Vic, sold it sole ram offered at $6500.
There was even international interest on the day, with a ram from Baderloo, Washpool, secured for $25,000 by a syndicate featuring Callington stud Lucernbrae, Challara, Badgingarra, WA, and a 300-dose semen deal to Argentina.
The ram ranked in the top 10pc on staple length, top 20pc on eye muscle depth and carried a 18.7 micron fleece, with 3.5 SD and 19.4 CV.
"He was originally in our ram sale, but with interest from Argentina and Bill we decided to enter him here," Baderloo principal Daniel Hammat said.
"He has an awesome wool type, is very good structurally and has great data - high muscle and fat with low micron."
Baderloo sold five rams in total, averaging $7950.
Other strong sales included a $17,000 purchase of a Ridgway Advance sire by Ramsgate, Tintinara, a $16,000 Willera, Serpentine, Vic, ram bought by Calcookara, Cowell, and another Ridgway Advance ram bought for $12,500 by EH&J Hay, Kamarooka Park, Kamarooka, Vic.
The Senior stud, north of Bordertown, sold 27 rams in total, averaging $7241.
Ridgway Advance principal David Ridgway said they would finish their selling season by entering three sires in the Adelaide Ram Sale at the Adelaide Showgrounds on Friday.
Mr Ridgway said their $35,000 sale topper was ET bred from a Leachim sire bought two years ago and the type of ram they were moving towards.
"We did a cross with a strong wool cutter ET donor ewe and were very happy," he said.
"The Leachim sire itself bred true to type and we went there because they were a consistent genetic line like us.
"He's an all round ram with a terrific, high quality wool cut, and muscle."
Nutrien was the duty agent, with Nutrien's Gordon Wood, Elders Tony Wetherall and Quality Livestock's David Whittenbury sharing the selling rostrum.
