The proximity to Christmas didn't keep the crowd or the sun away from the Ballarat sale which saw a yarding of 2000 head.

Older heavier steers were making about 160 to 170 cents a kilogram, with the weaner steers selling for about 170-180c/kg.

The top price for steers on the day went to Dean Farming Partnership, Waubra, with 11 head of Angus and black baldy's selling at $865.00, or 165c/kg.

They also sold a further 10 Angus steers, 447kg, at $785, or 175c/kg.

Landmark Mount Gambier, SA, was one of the more active buyers on the day, securing a number of pens before the larger weaner sales kick off this week.

Banongill Pastoral were volume vendors, offering 85 Angus and black baldy steers.

The black baldy's were by Weeran-blood bulls out of Banemore cows and sold the best of the run, with the top pen of 15 sold at $790, or 171c/kg.

The Angus calves were Banquet, Weeran, Pert Angus and Lawsons-blood, and the top pen of nine sold at $760, or 165c/kg.

Anthony Hurst, Seriston, Lucindale, SA, made the trip across the border with 101 Charolais Shorthorn-cross steers and 84 heifers of the same sort.

After selling his annual draft at Ballarat in recent years, Mr Hurst said he took the cattle there because it was a good location to access more feed and buyers and he was happy with the prices he had been making.

His top pen of 10 steers, out of ex-Lake Hawdon cows by Rosedale bulls, average 395kg sold at $785, or 199c/kg.

The remainder of the line weighed in at 353-280kg and the total 101 sold to an av of $678.

The Seriston heifers made a top of $675, or 188c/kg, for a pen of 18, av 358kg.

The 84, spread over three pens, weighed from 358-271kg and av $610.

Brendan Cahill, Burrumbeet, made the top in the heifer market with seven Angus, av 512kg, at $700 or 136c/kg.

He also sold a further five at $640, or 142c/kg.

A change of enterprise saw WH Thomas and Partners disperse their Angus breeding stock, which saw them make the top price for cows at $1000.

The 26 two-year-old Cranmore-blood heifers were PTIC to calve in February.

They sold a total of 155 mixed-aged cows, PTIC to Banquet and Coolana bulls, to av $950.

Vendors and buyers alike seemed satisfied with result at the end of the day, with most hoping for a bit of rain over the Christmas period to keep boosting prices into the New Year.