The repeat clients from Booligal, near Hay, NSW, bought the impressive sire, which carried a 20.2 micron fleece with a comfort factor of 99.5 per cent, co-efficient of variation of 14.3pc, and standard deviation of 2.9, along with four others.

Alma stud principal Graham Morphett said the sire "fitted the picture perfectly" in their quest to boost the meat side of their bloodline.

"We were looking for a combination of a meat and fibre sheep and he had an excellent rear end, long soft-stapled wool and a nice outlook as a ram, and obviously a few people thought the same thing," he said.

In an effort to change progressively over to Poll Merinos, the Alma stud which was established on Collinsville-horned ram genetics has been using Glenville genetics for the past six years.

"Merinos are the best wool producers in the world, and now the industry is focused on improving carcase quality and fertility which added to wool, gives producers great production and dollar potential," Mr Morphett said.

It was a fitting 50th celebration for Glenville, based at Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula, SA, who had a total clearance of 140 rams at an average $2049, going to stud and commercial buyers, locally and interstate.

A mini auction also allowed buyers to top up large pastoral orders, with 21 of the 24 offered selling to $1100.

Oak Farms Merino stud, Kimba, SA, bought two rams including the top Merino sire at $6200 another on-property record for Glenville.

The solid ram measured a fleece of 19M with a CV of 17.8, and SD of 3.4.

Stud principal Barry Smith was extremely pleased with the sale result which "exceeded expectations" as sheep and wool markets fell below last year's giddy highs.

He noted big changes in the industry over this time including the shift to breeding "larger and plainer-bodied sheep" and the swing toward Poll Merinos. He also saw trends of more farmers breeding their own Merino ewes for prime lamb enterprises as ewes get harder to come by, and many croppers turning back to sheep to combat weeds as chemical resistance becomes more of a problem.