Bendigo ewes beat national record

Allan and Janine Wiltshire sold 99 crossbred ewes for $516 a head at Bendigo's annual first-cross market on Friday, creating a new national record.

"I did hold it for 48 hours in 2018, so it doesn't worry me if I am knocked off again," Mr Wiltshire said.

"Good luck to anyone who achieves a better price."

With several more ewe sales to be held in the next week, including Edenhope and Naracoorte, SA, both on Thursday, the record price could well be challenged and beaten.

The Wiltshires' pen of April and May 2020-drop sheep was bought by Rob Sands, Caniambo.

Mr Wiltshire said the sale was well above expectations.

"I've been a farmer all my life and I love the sheep side of it," he said.

"It's really good to have the sheep do what they did, but I don't go chasing accolades.

"I thought the top pens - which I didn't include mine in - might have made $500 or more, so I was amazed.

"The organisers and agents did a fantastic job."

He said the ewes were in very good condition, well shorn and nicely presented.

"They were probably as heavy as any of the first-cross, 1-1.5-year-olds that were there," he said.

"The buyer was very happy with his purchase."

Read more: Bendigo crossbred ewes to $516 in massive 35,000 head sheep sale

He said the ewes were by Black Gate Border Leicester rams, out of Panorama ewes.

"We've used both those bloodlines now for more than 25, nearly 30 years," he said.

"Season wise it's been pretty good, we had a good autumn break and it continued right through and we had a wet spring, which we haven't had for quite a while.

"[The ewes] had no special attention, they were the smaller ones of last year's drop.

"I just put them away and backgrounded them to have them ready for the sale 12 months later."

Selling the top pen also saw the Wiltshires awarded the Rural Bank James Cartwright Memorial Shield.