Days' $90,000 bull of Calibre

“He’s become a bit of a favourite,” he said.

And earlier this week, that bull proved to be a favourite of more than just its breeder.

Days Calibre G74 was the cherry on top of a successful National Poll Hereford Show and Sale in Dubbo for Mr Day, his wife Lou and daughters Sarah, Bella, Hettie and Eva, taking out the senior and grand champion broadribbon in the show on Monday and then selling for a sale record of $90,000 on Tuesday.

In fact, the Day family, from Bordertown, South Australia, made a near-clean sweep of the judging ring, also claiming the junior and reserve senior broadribbons, and then averaging a phenomenal $34,600 for their five bulls the next day.

“This is possibly the most popular grand champion bull that’s ever passed through this ring,” said Elders auctioneer Andy McGeoch.

As Mr McGeoch called for an opening bid, a confident, resounding voice called out $40,000.

After a moment’s pause, in which the buzz around the ring rose to new heights, bidding got underway in $10,000 increments before a half took it to $85,000.

Within a minute of the opening bid, Calibre was knocked down for $90,000 to Stephen and Jodi Peake, Bowen stud, Barraba, and David and Olwyn Lyons, Melville Park stud, Vasey, Victoria.

The underbidder was Steve Nolan, Nolaroo stud, Taralga, who went on to pay the equal second-top money of $40,000 for Days Brigadeir G101, the reserve senior champion to Calibre.

Weighing 1100 kilograms, Calibre had the second highest eye muscle area in the sale at 143 square centimetres, and carried fat scans of 22 millimetres on the rump and 16mm on the ribs, with a handy 47cm scrotal circumference.

Calibre was a son of Allendale Waterhouse D1, the supreme Poll Hereford exhibit at Sydney Royal in 2009 and sire of Days Whiteface’s grand champion Poll Hereford bull at the Wodonga National last year, and from Allendale Dawn C62.

Mr Peake – who bought the bull sight unseen with Mr Lyons – said Calibre combined the pedigree, phentoype and data he was looking for.

“We’re constantly sourcing bulls worldwide; we’ve just been to New Zealand and found a few, but nothing of the calibre of this bull,” he said.

“He’s from four fantastic cow families; his pedigree includes a full sister to Allendale Musketeer and goes back to the Davis Unique cow which I saw in Canada in 1986 and rated the best cow I saw there and in the US.

“He’s just an exceptional bull you can’t walk past.”

In the wrap-up, the Dubbo sale defied current market trends.

A total of 124 from 142 bulls sold in an 87pc clearance, averaging a remarkable $7061.

This included 59 junior bulls averaging $5119, and 65 seniors averaging $8823.