Buyers willing to travel for meaty, white wool rams at Sandalwood Poll

There was a much stronger feeling of optimism and larger turn-out at this year's Sandalwood Poll Merino rams sale in the Mallee on Friday, with one client flying in especially from Central West NSW to buy one of the Boughen family's top price lots.

Repeat clients Rebecca and Andrew Glencross, Gollan, NSW, were among the 47 registered buyers competing for the 180-head offering, taking home lot 3 at $6500 and 104 at $4600, averaging $5550.

The Glencrosses have been buying from Sandalwood since 2019, chasing "true dual-purpose Merinos".

"They breed big framed Merinos with good growth statistics, plus a high volume wool cut around the 19M we are looking for," Ms Glencross said.

"And while they provide such a solid catalogue, with all the statistics true to what you see in the pen, we still try to fly over every year to see their body traits in person, their frames and how they stand."

Sired by Triggervale, February-shorn lot 3 had a five-month wool growth (CFLCW) of 8.5kg, measuring 19.2 micron, 2.9 standard deviation, 15 per cent coefficient of variation and 99.8pc comfort factor.

It weighed 106 kilograms and had stock scan figures of 95 millimetres on width, 44mm depth, 6.5mm fat, and an eye muscle area measurement of 32.19 square centimetres.

The couple run up to 2000 breeding ewes - a number slightly down due to the recent dry conditions.

With a recently-bought Woven Optics wool scanner, they plan to class out a small select flock of maiden ewes to run with the two rams "to see what the progeny might perform like".

Overall, the sale, conducted by Nutrien and Elders, saw 177 rams sell of the 180 on offer, to a $6600 top, averaging $2422 - a $523 increase on the 2025 sale result.

Nutrien SA studstock auctioneer Richard Miller said it was a fantastic result, with several rams making over $6000 - last year's top price.

"The buyers were treated to a really consistent group of rams, with big carcases and plenty of wool cut, great structure and adaptable sheep," he said.

The $6600 top price ram in lot 13 sold to long-time client Delro Alaman, Woolumbool, one of five purchases, averaging $5640.

Lot 13, sired by One Oak Poll Red 31, was another February-shorn with a CFLCW of 8.5kg, measuring 19.3M, 3.6SD, 18.55CV and 99.7CF.

It weighed 101kg and had stock scan figures of 94 width, 42 depth, 6mm fat, and EMA of 30.4sqcm.

Sandalwood stud principal Justin Boughen said they buy One Oak rams for their white wools.

"I think the whole lineup was some of the best white wools we have ever presented, which means they are suited to go anywhere in Australia," he said.

The rams were sold into three states, ranging from pastoral and Central West NSW, North East, North West and South West Vic, South East SA, Kangaroo Island and the Mallee.

"We are lucky to have a lot of locals who buy 6-7 rams every year, the sheep are suited to this 12-inch rainfall country, as highlighted recently in our local Wunkar Hogget Competition," Mr Boughen said.

"The competition gives our clients insights into the type of ram they should be buying."

Local long-time volume buyer David Francis, Caliph, who bought six to $2400, averaging $1733, said they buy at Sandalwood for their fine, white wools, while fellow long-time client Fred Zadow, Galga, who bought eight to $4400, averaging $3400, said they were looking to mate a few more ewes and liked Sandalwood Poll's consistency.

The sale's biggest volume buyer was GL&SM Maddern, Kaniva, Vic, with 12 rams averaging $1383, while PI&KE Parker, Kingston SE, bought 10 averaging $1000.

Mr Boughen was very happy with the strong support from clients, which included a $15,000 transaction on a stud reserve prior to the sale.

Regular interstate commercial client Dale West, Riggs Creek, Vic, had attended the sale to buy lot 1.

"But then he saw the stud reserve in the shed - a brother of lot 1 - and he didn't want to go home without him," Mr Boughen said.

"He doesn't need him until February, so we still get to use him first, which is good.

"We like him for his muscle. His meat figures are off the charts, and he's got a stud wool, which will breed a lot of commercial sheep for our ram sale."

Mr West said the ram stood out for his "size and doing ability".

"He stands nice and square," he said.

"And the width in that ram is important, as our older Merino ewes are used in our White Suffolk crossbred program, so we hope the females he produces have easier lambing and the capacity to handle multiples.

"We will AI him to our best 200 ewes every year, and he will also be our back-up ram."

Mr West, who joins 4000 ewes and breeds his own rams, said he has been buying at Sandalwood over the past 10 years, as well as at the Adelaide Ram Sale.

"Sandalwood rams have really improved over the years, they have more nice, white wools, which are important to us being from a higher rainfall area," he said.