Prices in the first 30 pens of sheep topped at $132 for a pen of 400 Merino ewes, April/May 2008-drop, August-shorn and Alma-blood, offered on account of Yarto, Booligal, NSW.

They were purchased by Neil Grimmer, Neil J Grimmer and Company, Temora, NSW, and split between two clients who sold ewes at last week’s Temora annual first-cross sale for about $180.

By pen 30, two other pens had also broken $120.

The opening pen, offered by Daisy Plains, Booligal, NSW - April/May 2008-drop, July-shorn and again Alma blood – sold for $122 to Echuca.

An Echuca buyer also claimed a run of 380 ewes, May/June 2008-drop, August-shorn, Caroonboon/Bluebush blood, offered by Nyangay, Hay, for $120.

The remainder of the first 30 pens made between $95 and $110.

Prices for the smaller 2008-drop, July-August shorn ewes struck better competition than the larger grown sheep with very few pens selling under $85 and sheep selling up to $100.

There was good inquiry for 2005, 2006 and 2007-drop mature ewes, with a pen of 2007-drop ewes that had already lambed once selling to $128.

The lead pen of the 2007-drop sheep, a run of SAMM ewes offered on account of Bedarbidgal, made $141.

Stock & Land market analyst Murray Arnel, reporting from the sale, said buyers had come from everywhere, remarking "you could rob every second house in Victoria today there's so many people here".