*59 of 60 rams sold to $7250, av $2295
Stockman Merino stud manager and classer Kip Gray was exceedingly pleased to have an almost perfect clearance of rams and a top price of $7250, much higher than the $5400 achieved the year before.
"People are looking for poll rams, doability and dual-purpose sheep, which we're trying to breed," Mr Gray said.
"The Merino is not classed just as a wool sheep anymore, he's classed on his body and structure virtually so that we can carry them on into our side like our five-year-old ewes and so forth."
That's not to say wool quality was unimportant.
The sale average was 18.8 micron and the stud ewe base averages 18.9 micron.
"For the last two years, we've gone unmulesed so we're trying to keep these rams very plain bodied and straight but add to eye muscle and fat for this doability and these harsher conditions that we're all facing now," Mr Gray said.
"We have an average of 21-inch rainfall but we've only just had a little half inches so far for this year."
Lot 1, the top-priced ram, was sold to Chris Downie, Greenwish Pastoral, Hamilton, Tas.
"These sheep Kip's been breeding seem to handle our climate beautifully," Mr Downie said.
Tom Shoobridge, Ouse, Tas, bought Lot 29 for $6600.
Keeyuga Pastoral, Glenaroua, bought 13 rams and 12 sold to the Morrison family, St Peters Pass, Oatlands, Tas.
Marcus McShane, Oatlands, Tas, purchased seven rams.