This year's Adelaide Show Ram Sale marked a significant milestone for Tony Wetherall. He celebrated his 40th Adelaide Show sale, reflecting a career that has become synonymous with the South Australian stud stock industry.
At the 2026 Adelaide Ram Sale. L to R: Steven Doecke, Branch Manager Elders Keith, Tony Wetherall, Stud Stock Sales Adelaide and Layrn Gogel, Branch Manager Elders Bordertown.
Having started his Elders career in the 1970s before joining the stud stock team in 1986, Elders SA Stud Stock Manager Tony Wetherall has spent more than four decades working alongside stud breeders and commercial producers across South Australia and beyond. Along the way, he has witnessed dramatic changes in the sheep industry; from the rise of objective measurement and genetic technologies, to shifting market demands and evolving breeding priorities.
Reflecting on the milestone, Tony said one constant throughout his career has been the industry's ability to adapt.
"The sheep industry is changing all the time. The demands producers have, the markets they're targeting and the traits they're breeding for have continued to evolve over the last 40 years, and that will continue into the future," he said.
"The industry is always changing, and breeders have had to change with it.”
Among the many highlights of Tony's career was auctioneering the world record Collinsville Merino ram, which sold for $450,000 at the Royal Adelaide Show in 1989, a sale that remains one of the most famous moments in Australian stud stock history.
While it didn’t quite hit that six-figure mark, this year's Adelaide Show demonstrated that the future of the sheep industry remains bright.
A standout performer was Elders client Greenfields, based near Hallett, which achieved remarkable success in the show and sale. The stud recorded a new Australian record price for a Merino stud ewe at $29,000 and also topped the ram sale with a Merino ram selling for $40,000.
“Extremely good sale here today, 38 rams offered and 33 sold at an average of $10,484. Good clearance and average was up on last year,” Tony said.
"One of the highlights of the day was Greenfields' Merino ewe selling for $29,000, which I believe is a new national record. We haven’t sold a ewe in Adelaide for a long time, but it was a fantastic achievement for the Greenfields team and a well-deserved result for the quality they've consistently produced.
"The sale attracted buyers from right across South Australia and interstate, with strong participation both in the yards and online. That breadth of support shows the reputation these genetics have earned across the industry."
Over four decades Tony has seen changing markets, evolving breeding objectives and significant advances in genetics, but he believes the future of the industry will depend on both continued innovation and the next generation of producers embracing the opportunities sheep can offer.
"It's fantastic to see young people getting involved," Tony said.
"Programs that encourage young farmers into the industry are incredibly important because that's where they learn about sheep, develop an appreciation for the industry and see the opportunities it can provide.”
"The industry has changed a lot over the last 40 years and it will keep changing. The genetics have improved enormously and breeders continue to adapt to what commercial producers need."
"I'd love to see more people return to Merinos while the infrastructure is still there. We certainly need more people back in the Merino sector and back in the sheep industry generally.
"But the thing I've enjoyed most has always been the people. I've been fortunate to work with generations of breeders right across the state, and to still be involved 40 Adelaide Show sales later is pretty special."