Show champion claims top price at Lansdale Southdown stud's annual sale

The supreme exhibit of this year's Victorian Sheep Show has sold for the top price at Lansdale Pure Southdown stud's annual sale.

A good season pushed the Bamganie stud's average to $1907 compared with $1750 last year.

Twenty-nine rams were cleared of 46 offered and there was a total clearance of 10 ewes that averaged $700.

The champion was placed first in the line-up and was purchased online by an anonymous buyer for $5800.

The 129-kilogram ram with a 48.29-square-centimetre eye muscle area attracted competitive bidding not only for his winning shape and stance, but for his strong lambing statistics including a 0.21kg birth weight, 6.42kg weaning weight, 9.81kg post-weaning weight and a 0.32-millimetre post-weaning eye muscle depth.

Lansdale stud co-principal James Knight said he was pleased to have increased the average after such a good season and to see this champion ram achieve strong demand.

"I can't be disappointed with today's auction," Mr Knight said.

"With that average, I'm more than happy."

He said the top-priced ram had been a "real standout" this year.

"His length, his depth and his hindquarter have been an absolute standout, and there's been a number of people that have spoken to us through various shows we've entered this year, just expressing their interest on that ram," he said.

One of the top volume buyers was Catherine Campbell, Barwonleigh, Inverleigh, who purchased seven rams.

Ms Campbell is a long-time client who was also outbid on the top-priced ram.

She said they purchased more this year as the flock had grown over the past year.

"We've been able to put more sheep on the property for the first time in my lifetime, we've actually brought ewes this year," she said.

"We want to have lambs on the ground, as many as we possibly can.

"Every year we come and support them, and the rams are getting better and better."

The rams will go to their flock of about 800 ewes.

Five rams were purchased by first-time buyers the Bugeja family, Corindhap.

The farm is transferring from Dorper to Southdown rams after initial success with a small stock of Southdowns last year.

Charles Stewart & Co livestock agent Brad Thompson made the purchases on their behalf and said Lansdale was the stud to help their transition.

"The ewes will stay Dorper, but with the rams changing, they'll get more yield out of their lambs," Mr Thompson said.