In the battle of supply and demand, demand won last friday at the Ireland Angus on-property spring bull sale at “Ivydell”, Book Book.
The Ireland family recorded a complete clearance of 48 Angus bulls and recorded a personal best average of $9354while selling to a $35,000 top-price.
Return commercial client, Richard Hicks, Hicks Pastoral Co, Cootamundra, won the battle for hotly contested Irelands Lewisham L6 – a phenotypically impressive son of Granite Ridge Thomas F223, out of embryo transfer donor female Geramy Bunyip C91.
Lewisham L6 weighed 726 kilograms at 17-months of age, had raw scans of 102 square centimetre eye muscle area (EMA), 10 millimetres of rib and rump fat and an impressive 7.5 per cent intramuscular fat (IMF), while measuring a scrotal size of 41 centimetres.
The highs continued when Merlewood Angus, Mirboo North, Victoria, purchased their third stud sire with an Irelands prefix when they acquired Irelands Lowanna L72.
Lowanna L72 was sired by Irelands Hierarchy H152, a Rennylea Edmund E11 son and out of Irelands Quiet E107 cow.
Lowanna was in the top 10pc of the breed for scrotal size and intramuscular fat on breedplan.
The 15- month-old weighed in at 634kgs and had raw measurements of 98 square centimetre eye muscle area, 8 and 7 mm rib and rump fat, 6.9pc intramuscular fat, and 40cm scrotal.
The strength continued throughout the sale with the auction reaching over the $10,000 mark 17 times.
Elders Longreach, Queensland, drove the distance and were rewarded for their efforts putting together a draft of seven bulls for client Cronulla Trust, “Cronulla”, Longreach, for an average price of $8429.
Topping out at $11,000 for Irelands Larnook L13, a Granite Ridge Regent H309 son, other sires represented were Granite Ridge Jurassic J76, Merchiston Generate 243, and Granite Ridge Thomas F223.
While Craiglea Partnership, Hobby’s Yards, increased the average with their five paying to a top of $12,000 for Irelands Lorne L66 another Irelands Hierarchy H152 son resulting in an impressive $10,400 average.
Operating through Delta Ag, Young, Highbank Pastoral Co., Young, were not far behind when they averaged $9600 for their five.
They paid to a top of $11,000 for first cab off the rank, Irelands Ling L32, a Granite Ridge Jurassic J76 son.
Gerrard and Partners, Young, bought well securing five bulls for an average price of $7500 and a modest top of $10,000 paid for a Granite Ridge Thomas F223 son in Irelands Lewis L19.
As has become custom at Irelands Angus mountain calf producers had a strong presence.
Sharpe Fullgrabe, Bairnsdale, booked six in total for an average price of $7250 for clients D.W. and R.T. Stringer, R.P. and H.E. Bowman, and Alpine Maintenance.
While Elders Bairnsdale, operating on behalf of K.J. and G.J. Connley, Benambra, purchased one bull for $6000.
Kevin Norris and Joe Wilks performed the duties on behalf of their respective companies Landmark and Elders.