Bidding in the barn boosted by competition from online delivered a strong result at the third annual Glenlee Park Border Leicester stud sale on Friday.
Will Schilling and Billie Barber, Gerang Gerung, were "over the moon" with the result which saw 66 of 71 offered sold under the hammer and those passed in sold before the end of the day.
Mr Schilling said he walked out of the house that morning thinking that if half the penning sold "it would be a good job".
"To have a result like we did, in a buyer's market, was terrific and that's why people keep coming back even when the market is down," he said.
"I'm over the moon that the rams will now be in other people's paddocks and flocks."
He said there were a couple of new buyers but the majority were repeat buyers.
The sale was heavily supported by a couple of local agents AWN and DMD Nhill.
Mr Schilling said the market was tough with the price of first-cross ewes coming down.
"But genuine first-cross ewe breeders are first-cross ewe breeders and that's what they do," he said.
He said they had had their best showing season in eight or 10 years, winning supreme all-breeds youth at the Royal Adelaide Show and supreme Border Leicester at the Bendigo Elite Show and Sale.
Glenlee Park also sold six rams at the Bendigo sale at an average of $6600.
Mr Schilling said it had been a pleasing year, particularly seeing how it went in a tough year.
He said they had also purchased a ram, Pina Big Red 28.22, from the Pina Border Leicester stud, Colbinabbin.
He said the ram was a pure Pina-blood ram that was "just a natural sheep that would do a lot of good" for Glenlee Park.
"He's not the biggest ram in the shed but he is packed full of muscle, beautiful fleece, beautiful head and we look forward to using him," he said.
Buyer of the top lot was Jarryd Sutton, Eaglehawk Border Leicester stud, Glengarry, who paid $5000 for Lot 1A, a July 2022-drop ram by Coolawang 117.18 and out of Geraldine 83-19.
Mr Schilling said the lot had been moved up the catalogue order after increased interest prior to the sale.
The ram was born a twin and had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of +0.29 kilograms birth weight (BWT), +7.04kg post-weaning weight (PWWT), +0.08 millimetres post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) and 105.82 on the Border Leicester cross index (BLX).
Mr Sutton said his flock was based on ewes bought from the now-dispersed Geraldine Border Leicester stud.
He said he was chasing an outcross sire to go over his ewe lambs and liked the sire because it had a "really-good dam line".
"I liked him because he is a stylish ram that hasn't gone through all the show ring prep, just a natural sort of ram," he said.
Mr Sutton said he only saw the ram via video the night before the sale, but he came well recommended.
"My main mentor, Ian Baker, rang me and said to have a look at this ram because he is a stand out and good outcross sire," he said.
Lot 2, a specially-selected stud ram, by Glenlee Park 42-19, sold for $4000 to N Parsons, Lockington.
The August 2022-drop ram had a PWWT of +7.46kg and BLX index of 104.18.
Key to the sale was the activity of volume buyers, Geoff and Dianne Allan, Melrose, Mathoura, NSW.
The Allans, who are known for breeding top-quality first-cross ewes, have been strong supporters at Glenlee Park in the past few years.
This year the Allans purchased via AuctionsPlus a total of 18 rams to a top of $1400 four times and averaging $1055.
Lot 3, a Retallack 336.20 son, born a twin, was bought for $3400 by Brimgower, Brimpaen, selling with figures of +0.15kg BWT, +7.46kg PWWT and BLX index of 106.70.
Selling for $3000 was Lot 5, a Retallack 336.20 son out of a Retallack ewe.
G & D Meyer, Kaniva, paid $2000 for Lot 1, a Retallack 336.20 son, with a BLX index of 102.20.
The Merrett Family Trust, Kaniva, bought five rams to a top of $1300.
