Strong competition across higher rainfall areas of western Victoria, as well as buying from NSW, boosted values at the Wycheproof sheep sale.
Elders yarded 8058 Border Leicester/Merino-cross ewes and Merino ewes and wethers that attracted a good crowd.
Buyers came from Geelong, Hamilton, Casterton, Horsham, Nhill, Bendigo, Seymour, Ballarat, Cohuna, Shepparton and local areas.
Good rains in areas of the central-west of NSW saw two pens go to Forbes.
Top of the sale was set with the first pen of 142 first-cross ewes, sold by Sterling Partnership, that were April/May 2018-drop, scanned-in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams.
They sold for $382 to HF Richardson, Ballarat.
The same buyer paid $378 for a pen of 167 ewes, 2018-drop, depastured to Australian White rams, sold by Nedna.
Nedna had the top pen of 2019-drop, unjoined first-cross ewes, with a line of 193 March/April drop, October-shorn, that went for $356.
Greg Boyd, Elders, said crossbred sheep sold exceptionally well while the best Merinos were stronger and the balance "on par" with sales late in 2019.
He said there was a good run of 2019-drop first-cross ewes with the better types, closer to joining, making $300 to $356 a head, with the second run making $230 to $300.
Excellent joined Merino ewes topped at $285, with the balance selling between $210 to $270.
He said there were three really good pens of four year-old Merinos at $242 to $276, for scanned-in-lamb ewes for an April lamb.
Unjoined ewes sold to $270 with the balance making $160 to $190.
Mr Boyd said the top pen of wethers sold for $176 with the balance making $130 to $154.
The best of the wether lambs made $161 and the next best was $142.
Springlake Farming sold two lines of April/May 2019-drop ewes, non-station-mated, with the lead pen of 224 selling for $348 and the next pen of 232 making $300.
A pen of 204 August/September 2019-drop ewes, January-shorn, sold by D White made $280.
Harris Partners sold two pens of first-cross ewes, July/August 2019-drop, for $278 for 177 and a second line of 290 for $232.
Tops of the Merino ewes was a line of 337 sold by Juliette Pty Ltd.
The July/August 2018-drop ewes were Glenalba blood, scanned-in-lamb to White Suffolks, October-shorn, and sold for $285.
Three lines of Merino ewes sold by GJ & CJ McGurk were May/June 2018-drop, November-shorn, depastured to Poll Dorsets, with the lead pen of 209 making $220 and 208, with a second pen selling for $210.
A line of 297 Merino ewes, July/August 2018-drop, December-shorn, NSM, sold by Vinelee for $270.
GR & A Coatsworth, Wycheproof, offered a line of 210 Merino ewes, June/July 2015-drop, September-shorn and depastured to Poll Dorset rams, that sold for $276.
Another line of 2015-drop ewes sold by WJ Watts, made $276
An Elders Birchip account paid $160 for a pen of 275 Merino ewes, June/July 2019-drop, November-shorn, sold by MJ Foott.
In the wether run, the top price was $176 by processors for a pen of 405 Merinos, May/June 2018-drop, October-shorn, offered by T & GA Simpson, Winjallok.
Another line of 178 by the same breeder sold for $154.
A pen of 222 Merino wethers sold by P Stewart, June/July 2019-drop, Keri Keri-blood, October-shorn, made $161.
Gulthul Station sold Merino wethers with a line of 361 May/June 2019-drop, October-shorn, selling for $142.
Calder Park sold two lines of wethers, September/October 2018-drop, January-shorn, with the lead pen of 331 making $140.