STRONG support from commercial and stud producers resulted in a top of $15,000 twice at the 24th annual Mountain Valley Poll Hereford bull sale at Coolatai last Thursday.
All 44 bulls offered by stud principals, Ian and Shelley Durkin, sold, averaging $8681, up from $7350 at the 2016 sale.
First-time Mountain Valley buyer, Greg Tyler, Hillview Herefords, Tyringham, near Dorrigo, bought Mountain Valley Long Shot L17, a 27-month-old son of Allendale Distinguished H52 and Mountain Valley Lady F5. The 986-kg bull had a scrotal circumference of 35 centimetres, rump fat of 18 millimetres, 10mm on the rib, and an eye muscle area (EMA) of 131cm2 with intramuscular fat (IMF) of 5.4 per cent. Mr Tyler also purchased Mountain Valley Eiffel Tower L272 for $7000.
“We came here chasing the extra muscle, softness and capacity of the Mountain Valley bulls,” Mr Tyler said.
The second $15,000 bull, Mountain Valley Lizard L92, sold to Denniston McInnes, Jacana Poll Herefords, Goondiwindi. The 24-month-old, by Allendale FCF Barkly H127 from Mountain Valley Victoria G74, weighed 872kg with a scrotal circumference of 41cm, and rump and rib fat of 17mm and 12mm. The bull had a 118cm2 EMA, 6.7pc IMF and estimated breeding values (EBVs) of +61 and +83 for 400- and 600-day weight.
Another Barkly son, 24-month-old Mountain Valley Level L101, from Mountain Valley Mayflower C15, sold to repeat client, Alwyn Prentice, Delungra, for $14,000.
Mathew Marriot, Forster, Victoria, bought Mountain Valley Holy Smoke L054 for $13,000 and Mountain Valley Last Stand L82 sold to Chris Strahle, manager of “Clerkness”, Bundarra, for $13,000.
Four bulls – Mountain Valley Lone Ranger L6, Mountain Valley Lazarus L73, Mountain Valley Commercial 575 and Mountain Valley Landcruiser L39 – each made $12,000, selling to Lee Coleman, “Yamboon”, Croppa Creek; Chris Robinson, Gravesend; Deloraine Partnership Beveridge, Vic; and John Saunders, “Rosehill”, Inverell.
A highlight of the day was the donation of $9000 for the sale of a bull to the family of young Delungra boy, Logan Taylor, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour earlier this year. The bull was purchased by longtime Mountain Valley clients, Al, Liz and Guy Uebergang, Blue Nobby Station, North Star.
The sale’s volume buyers were Oakbridge Pastoral, who took home three bulls averaging $6666 and the Uebergangs, who purchased three bulls for an average of $8000.
The sale was settled by C.L. Squires and Company, Inverell, with Paul Dooley, Tamworth, as auctioneer.