A mammoth consignment of 35,000 sheep was offered at Bendigo on Friday for the annual blue ribbon first-cross market, where ewes sold to a top price of $516 a head.
Central Victorian agents said it was the largest sheep market in Bendigo's history, and one of the largest Border Leicester/Merino-cross sheep sales in Australia.
The sale included more than 20,000 ewe lambs with the top end of the younger draft selling beyond $450.
Bendigo Stock Agents' Association president Richard Leitch said the mega yarding of sheep was a result of a merger of two sales previously held in Bendigo on separate days.
"Traditionally we used to run two sales; Elders and Landmark used to be together and then the independents used to have a sale on the Friday after the first sale," he said.
"With breeders going out and a lack of numbers, we decided to combine it and this is the first year we've done that."
Return restockers from South Gippsland and western Victoria underpinned the sale, agents said, while local competition was noticeably quieter compared to previous years.
Mr Leitch said quality across the yarding was good considering recent weather, while the sale was the largest volume of cattle sold in one single market in Bendigo's history.
"It was a shocking winter as far as lambs are concerned and we've had 17 days less of sunshine this year compared to last year and that's reflected on the lambs," he said.
"Our ewe lambs were six to eight kilos lighter than last year and probably three weeks behind where they should have been and that reflected in some of the prices.
"It was still a very good result but we may have expected a bit more if the lambs had more bloom."
The Cartwright family of Bungaree, Raywood, trading as J & L Cartwright, sold the first pen of 214 Border Leicester/Merino-cross ewes, July and August 2020-drop, for $500.
The pen was awarded best presented ewe pen, one and a half years, by former Stock & Land reporter Murray Arnell.
Vendor Lynda Cartwright said she was pleased with the condition of her consignment of 1384 ewe lambs and ewes, noting the entire draft of ewes made more than last year's top-priced $448 pen.
The Cartwrights also sold 173 ewes, October and November 2020-drop, for $508.
The top-priced pen was sold by AR & JM Wiltshire, Prairie, with 99 crossbred ewes going under the hammer for $516.
The pen of April and May 2020-drop sheep was bought by Rob Sands, Caniambo.
JH Hay & Sons, Kamarooka, sold a consignment of 500 crossbreds, including 162 ewe lambs, April and May 2020-drop, which sold to $376.
Vendor Andy Hay also sold a pen of 155 ewes, May 2020-drop, for $500 and a second pen of 126 for $478.
McKean McGregor director Alex Collins said the top end of both the ewes and ewe lambs sold "right up to expectation", but those secondary lambs were harder to move on.
"The mid-run of sheep were tough enough to sell but we had excellent results for the top-end ewe lambs which sold to well over $400 and that's a great return for producers," he said.
"We've seen a cheaper trend with crossbred sheep sales in the last month or six weeks on AuctionsPlus and our sale followed a similar trend today but on last year's result some of the results were a little disappointing."
The Collins family of Bridgewater, trading as DR Collins & Partners, were awarded the best presented pen of ewe lambs with 251 head, April and May 2021-drop, October shorn, fetching $428.
David and Sue Collins and their son Andrew Collins consigned 800 ewe lambs and 130 ewes, aged one and a half, beating their top-price 2020 record of $400.
The Collins also sold the second pen of crossbred ewes with 100 head, September and October 2020-drop, going under the hammer for $492, as well as 200 ewe lambs, April and May 2020-drop, which made $398.
GJ & DM Allan, Melrose, Mathoura, sold 180 March and April-2021 ewe lambs for $454 and a second pen of 130 for $420.
Golden Wattle, Quambatook, sold 183 ewes, April 2020-drop, for $468.
R & N Broom, Bridgewater, sold 127 ewes, October and November 2020-drop, for $466.
G & M Lourie, Raywood, sold 202 ewes, September 2020-drop, for $470 and 148 ewes for $476.
GW & ML Curnow sold 143 ewes, June and July 2020-drop, for $460 to Nutrien Mansfield.
IL, WA and J Laurie, Rushworth, sold 285 ewes, May and June 2020-drop, for $437.
Monmore Pty Ltd, Laancoorie, sold 80 ewes, April and May 2020-drop for $470.
Cadel, Mathoura, sold 90 ewes, June and July 2020-drop, for $470 and another 90 for $465.
Ravenshoe Pastoral, Ravenswood, sold 182 ewes, July 2020-drop, to a buyer via Elders Yea.
J & H Wall, Caniambo, sold 85 ewes, August and September 2020-drop, for $480.
Harrison and Symons, Derby, sold 210 ewes, June and July 2020-drop for $414.
Mooraview Pty Ltd, sold 99 ewes, April and May 2020-drop, for $475.
In the ewe lambs section, AD & RL Gawne, Yando, sold 226 head, April and May 2021-drop, for $360.
TJ, MJ & C Rhodes sold 300 ewe lambs, April and May 2021-drop, for $390.
G & M Lourie, Raywood, sold 131 head, April 2021-drop, for $352.
JM & PJ Darker sold 200 ewe lambs, April and May 2021-drop, for $386 and 104 head for $315.
J, H & N Cartwright, Raywood, sold 54 ewe lambs, April and May 2021-drop, for $350 and 224 head for $310.
R & N Broom, Bridgewater, sold 159 ewe lambs, March and April 2020-drop, for $360.
J & B Punton, Eastville, sold 131 ewe lambs, April and May 2021-drop, for $325.
Andshara Pty Ltd sold 183 ewe lambs, April and May 2021-drop, for $321.
KP & TJ Flood, Shelbourne, sold 221 ewe lambs, May and June 2021-drop, for $310.
GJ & DM Allan, Melrose, Mathoura, sold 234 ewe lambs, March and April 2021-drop for $280.
WL & RJ Johnson, Myola East, sold 141 head, April and May 2021-drop, for $242.
P & N O'Sullivan, sold 215 ewe lambs, May and June 2021-drop, for $285.
MD Connors, Moaama, NSW, sold 248 head, April and May 2021-drop, for $288.
A & S Jones Family Trust sold 200 ewe lambs, April and May 2021-drop, for $284 and 600 head for $270.
MJ Byrne, Axedale, sold 106 head, April and May 2021-drop, for $265.
HM Barty & Sons, Beverly, Sutton Grange, sold 238 head, May and June 2021-drop for $305.
Comer Family Trust, Woodstock West, sold 200 ewe lambs, April and March 2021-drop for $250 and 400 for $240.
Meanwhile, IK & JA Lovel sold 75 ewes, 2.5 years, October shorn for $340.
GG Younger sold 335 April and May 2018-drop ewes for $245.