IN a 90 per cent auction clearance, 78 of 87 bulls sold to $65,000 and averaged $9423 at the 56th Dubbo National Poll Hereford Show and Sale last week.
Stud and commercial breeders bid hard for the top lots, with the sale average only slightly under the recent Wodonga show and sale event.
This year’s average was also under that of last year’s exceptional record of $12,155, however, this sale cleared an extra 10 bulls.
In the breakdown, 38 of 47 junior bulls offered sold to an average of $6105 while all 40 senior bulls offered sold to average $10,550.
The sale-topper was the reserve senior intermediate champion and Hunter Valley-bred Hunter Lakes Lion Heart L110.
The rising 26-month-old son of Days Robin Hood H38 weighed 916 kilograms and scanned an eye muscle area (EMA) of 126 square centimetres.
Bred by the Wile family at Jessmond, Lion Heart was purchased by Glenn Bowman for his Ridgeview stud at Rosedale in Victoria’s Gippsland.
Mr Bowman, who runs both a commercial herd as well as a Poll Hereford and Angus stud, said it was very rare to have the performance, the phenotype and the pedigree all line-up together in one bull.
“This bull, I believe, has everything, as well as having an iconic cow family behind him with the Allendale Fancy line,” Mr Bowman said.
Mr Bowman said Lion Heart will go back to Rosedale to be used in the stud, over a fair swag of the herd, as well as enter in AI program.
Two years ago Mr Bowman purchased an Allendale bull from the Dubbo sale, the supermarket index class winner, who’s son, Allendale Gambler L143, went through the ring at this year’s sale, selling for the second highest price of $40,000.
Gambler, by Allendale Chinchilla J23, bred by the Day family’s Allendale stud, Bordertown, South Australia, was the interbreed champion and supermarket index class winner.
He was purchased by Mark Wilson and Stuart Adlington for their Kerlson Pines stud herd based at Keith, SA.
Mr Wilson said Gambler was “the most complete bull”, having everything he required – weight for age, performance, power and carcase traits.
“He was the bull we came here to buy,” Mr Wilson said. “He is a structurally correct bull with a huge amount of meat to him. There’s a lot of power behind him, but still smooth enough up front.”
”I consider him a changer bull – he has the performance in his carcase figures, his intramuscular fat IMF and EMA – what we are chasing.”
He said Gambler will suit their program well, where they run about 160 breeders in the stud, and will have a fair run of cows, after initially collecting some semen.
Allendale sold all four bulls offered including two with a $16,000 and $15,000 price-tag, respectively.
The $16,000 cheque was signed by Lechidale Partnership , Argytle, Wellington, for the first bull into the sale ring, Allendale Collingwood L176. A bull that stood first in his class the day prior, Collingwood was a son of Allendale Chisel G161.
Kerlson Pines sold all four bulls offered to a top price of $17,000, averaging $12,750. Their top-priced bull, Kerlson Pines Logan L86 (P) by Mroganvale Gideon G384, was purchased by K.J and C.M Dobson, Warraba Park Pastoral, “Sandlewood”, Meandarra, Queensland.
Rayleigh stud, Burren Junction, sold Rayleigh Langden L57 (P), a son of Imjemira Anzac H003, for $16,000 to Edendale Company, “Guneena”, Inverall.
Another bull went for $16,000 directly following Langden, when Days Exceptional L65, offered by Days Whiteface, Bordertown, SA, was purchased by Moss Vale Herefords, Moss Vale.
Days sold a second bull for $10,000 to average $13,000.
Warragundi stud, Currabubula, offered and sold six bulls to a top of $12,000, averaging $7166 as did Ironbark Glen stud, who sold six to average $4167.
The Ranch, Tomingley, sold three bulls to average $11,667 including the $15,000 rising two-year-old, The Ranch Landlord L53, to David and Franka Jones with sons Brad Ryan and Grant, Goonalarra Poll Herefords, Wallendbeen, through AuctionsPlus.
Supple stud situated at Guyra offered and sold five bulls to a top of $14,000, averaging $7600. Their top-priced bull, Supple Loose Goose (P), went to Garry Seaman of Lochness Pastoral Company, Crookwell.
Bull sale chairperson, Andrew Rayner, Grathlyn stud, Hargraves, said this year’s sale saw a definite increase in commercial support, a result which is positive for the breed.
“Last year there was 25 bulls that went to studs, this year there was about 15,” Mr Rayner said. “There were more commercial buyers and they were willing to pay more money.
“A lot were sold in that $8K to $15k range. Bulls that generally may have gone to a stud last year, this year commercial breeders were picking them up.
“We sold more bulls than we did last year and we have put an extra 15 bulls into commercial herds than we did in 2016.”
The sale was conducted by Landmark and Elders stud stock, Dubbo.
