*77 of 77 rams sold to $11,000, av $2025
The top priced ram at the Sohnic Merino stud, Marnoo, is headed to South Australia again this year.
The $11,000 ram offered by Greg Hose and Scott Nicholson was sold via the AuctionsPlus platform to Jim Hunt, trading as JD & SF Hunt, Mundulla, South Australia.
Mr Nicholson said the buyer had been buying at Sohnic for 15 years - since it started.
He said he "couldn't be happier with the sale".
"It was a bit of a worry before hand with the circumstances and the year, but we ended up averaging slightly up on last year," he said.
"We had a couple of new buyers it was mainly the long-term repeat buyers which we are lucky enough to have," he said.
""We've got a really loyal clientele. We aim for commercial breeders who can come and buy rams at reasonable averages.
"The top priced ram was attractive because of his length of body, length of staple and boldness of crimp. He's a ram that suits a certain buyer - someone looking for that 'X factor," Mr Nicholson said.
The top ram was a double poll by Sohnic 60464 a son of Sohnic 964. It was a 19.5 micron ram with a co-efficient of variation (CV) of 17.8 per cent, a standard deviation (SD) of 3.5 and a fleece weight at six months of 4.1 kilograms.
Two rams clocked the second top price of $6500. One of those was lot six that went to Greg McNally, Traverston Farms Pty Ltd, St Arnaud east.
Mr McNally said he had been buying at Sohnic for five years and wa impressed by the ram's "beautiful white wool and crimp definition".
The ram was a double poll by Lucinbrea 160032 measuring 19.5 micron with a CV of 14pc and SV of 2.7pc and fleece weight at six month of 4.2kg.
The second ram to make $6500 was the very next lot, a double poll that measured 20.9 micron with a CV of 16.1pc, an SD of 3.4pc and fleece weight at six months of 3.5kg. The ram was bought by the buyer of the top priced ram in 2019, Roger Hunt trading as Chain Pump Merino, Bordertown, SA.
Lot five was purchased by Clovelly Pastoral Co, Stawell, for $4500. The ram had a micron of 21.1, a CV of 16.4pc and an SD of 3.2pc. The ram 's fleece weight at six months was 4.8kg.
Shane Bibby, Bibby Farms, Navarre, a regular purchaser at Sohnic, was a volume buyer selecting six rams to a top of $2750 on two occasions.
Lot two sold for $3500 to Karana Holding Pty Ltd while other rams to make $3500 were lot 13 to SJ Wright and lot 24 to an AuctionsPlus bid.
LA Wilkinson paid $3500 for lot 36, a double poll ram with a 19.7 micron fleece, CV of 15.8pc and SD of 3.1pc. It shore a 4.4kg fleece at six months.
E & J Wilkinson purchased four rams to top of $3000 twice.
Another multiple purchaser was Bretton Estates, Campbells Bridge, which purchased five rams to a top of $3000.
NSW-based Hazelwood Nominees, Balranald, was an active buying 15 rams to $1500.
