A TOP quality yarding of 2200 cattle from Alice Springs to Dubbo attracted strong bids at the annual Landmark Classic store sale at Tamworth on Thursday.
The yarding averaged $1100 a head and included 1000 steers, 800 heifers and 400 breeders.
Cattle came from Alice Springs, Goondiwindi, Grafton, Scone and Dubbo, as well as areas around Tamworth including Barraba, Narrabri, Walcha, Armidale and Glen Innes.
Landmark Tamworth agent Scott Simshauser said buyers were happy to pay a premium.
Cattle went to restockers at Albury, various parts of Queensland and across the New England.
“I think we had one of the largest buying crowds we’ve had in a long time and I thought it was $50 to $100 dearer than previous sales based on the quality of the cattle,” Mr Simshauser said.
“It was a yarding of magnificent quality and the cattle sold accordingly.”
Cows and calves were strong, selling from $1500 to $2325 for 17 commercial Santa Gertrudis PTIC cows with their first calves, owned by Neil Watson, Tamworth.
PTIC heifers ranged from $1200 to $1400 for Angus heifers from Ross Turnbull, “Eulourie”, Upper Horton.
Feeder steers made between $1100 and $1340, with Ian and Adam Cabot, “Doonbah”, Barraba, selling the top pen.
Light weaner steers weighing between 175kg and 220kg sold from $680 to $920, middleweight weaner steers weighed from 220kg to 250kg and ranged from $860 to $1020 and heavy weaner steers, weighing between 250kg and 320kg, sold from $920 to $1120.
Light weaner heifers made between $600 and $740, medium heifers sold from $680 to $780 and heavy weaner heifers ranged from $800 to $1020.
Mr Simshauser said prices reflected the current enthusiasm in the cattle market, with restockers desperate to take advantage of good feed following regular widespread rainfall across the state.
“Most people have got feed as well as confidence in the cattle markets and we saw buyers that were coming to buy specific lines of high performance cattle,” he said.
“The Landmark Classic sale is known for its high quality cattle and we’ve had about 15 vendors who have been with the sale from the start, so buyers know the quality.”
Among the big lines sold were 178 unjoined Poll Hereford heifers from Mt Riddock Station, 200 kilometres north east of Alice Springs, owned by Steve and Rebecca Cadzow.
The European Union heifers, ranging from 16 to 20 months old and averaging 270kg, sold from $950 to $980.
The cattle were trucked nearly 3500km and have been on agistment at Walcha for the past two months.
They were used in the early rounds of the Landmark Classic open draft before being sold.
“We’ve got a daughter going to NEGS (New England Girls School) so we were coming over anyway for that and to buy her a horse at the campdraft, so we thought it was a good opportunity to showcase our cattle,” Mr Cadzow said.