SUNSHINE, sizzling steak sandwiches and standout Angus cattle were on offer at the Gilmandyke Angus spring sale at Orange on Thursday.
For sale were 63 Angus bulls, 2013 and 2014-drop, of which 61 were sold in the ring to the 60 registered bidders, averaging $5704.
The sale reached a top price of $10,500 for lot 22, a Carabar Docklands D62 son snapped up by long term clients Bryan and Esther Benson, Mermeran Angus and Murray Grey Stud, “Roeta”, Dubbo.
Gilmandyke manager Derek Hubert and his team also offered 120 commercial Angus females this year, with 100 selling to a top of $1650, and $1550.
Having purchased females at Gilmandyke’s spring sale in 2014, the top-price buyers the Bensons returned with agent Graham Anderson, Peter Milling, Dubbo, to secure a new stud sire.
Mr Benson said having purchased females last year at $1000, he was glad they got in when they did, with the increase in female price this year reflecting the current cattle market.
The Benson’s sire purchase this year, Gilmandyke Docklands K0010, was a 17-month-old out of Gilmandyke Bonny F0069 – a Millah Murrah Equator D78 daughter – weighing in at 824 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 40 centimetres.
Docklands K0010 had a low birth weight estimated breeding value (EBV), teamed with high growth figures in the top 10 per cent of the breed of +49 for 200-day through to +131 for 600-day weight.
Mrs Benson said the bull’s good feet, legs and hindquarters were a big attraction, along with its sire outlook and impressive EBVs.
Volume buyer on the day was Earlscolne Pastoral Company, Mount David, who took home four bulls to a top price of $6000, averaging $4375.
P.T. Camilleri, through Ray White Korff and Co Coonabarabran, and Coomber Partnership, through Callow Livestock, Rankin Springs, were both active early on, taking two bulls each in the first 25 lots offered.
P.T. Camilleri paid to $8500 and averaged $7750 for their purchases, while Coomber Partnership topped at $6500 and averaged $6000 for theirs.
Two buyers paid the second highest price of $9000, for lots 4 and 15.
First was A.N. and C. Girle, for a Millah Murrah Equator D78 son Gilmandyke Jibberding J0372, a July 2013-drop bull weighing 950 kilograms that had three of the Angus $Index EBVs in the top 10pc of the breed.
James Jackson and manager Wade Peatman, Bell Hill Angus, Molong, took the other $9000 bull, Gilmandyke Jacksonville J0102.
Another July 2013-drop Equator D78 son, Jacksonville weighed 956kg and was selected on its ability to be joined to heifers and cows.
