AN impressive top price of $24,000 was reached on Friday at the inaugural JAD Speckle Park Bull and Female Sale held at Dubbo, where buyers from throughout Australia and New Zealand snapped up quality offerings from first-time vendors Justin and Amy Dickens.
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The entire offering of 28 bulls were sold to record an $11,214 average, while eleven registered females averaged $11,365.
In the breakdown, 21 stud registered bulls averaged $12,672 and the seven commercial bulls sold and offered hit a $6571 average.
A syndicate of buyers that included Australian studs Fish Creek Farm Speckle Parks, Victoria, and Merom Speckle Park stud, Vic, along with New Zealand based buyers Maungahina stud and Premier Cattle Company Ltd, snapped up the highly regarded $24,000 sale-topper, JAD Napoleon N31.
Described as a "genuine stud sire prospect", the rising 18-month-old white bull was sired by River Hill 60W Line Drive 54Z from Codiak Acres Belinda 66A.
He weighed 728 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 37.5 centimetres, an eye muscle area (EMA) of 110cm sq and P8 and rib fat depths of 15 and 12 millimetres respectively.
The young sire stood strongly within the breed's estimated breeding values and was in the top one per cent for EMA at +2, the equal second highest score of all 590 2017-drop calves in the SPI Animal Register at February 27.
He was also in the top 10 per cent for 400-day weight at +30.
Semen had been collected and retained for in herd use by the JAD Speckle Park stud when Napoleon N31 was just 16 months.
Napoleon N31 was one of four progeny to be offered at the sale by River Hill 60W Line Drive 54Z and from Codiak Acres Belinda 66A, which Ms Dickens hailed their most successful combination from the 2017-drop.
JAD Night Rider N8 was the second top-priced bull sold for $23,000 to Ben and Ellie Wesley from Big Star Speckle Park stud, Hillston, for a new Speckle Park black bull world record previously held by Wattle Grove Speckle Park stud.
Sired by Star Bank Lacerta 68L from River Hill 26T Whistler 38W, he was sold with 10 per cent of the auction sale price donated to the Black Dog Institute.
The 20-month-old bull weighed 792 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 42 centimetres, EMA of 117cm sq and P8 and rib fat depths of 13 and nine millimetres.
The 11 registered females that sold to a $11,365 average reached a top of $17,000 for JAD 54Z Belinda N68 who was purchased by Tasmanian buyers JJ. and VA. Argent, through AuctionsPlus.
A full sibling to the $24,000 headline bull, Belinda N68, was sold joined to Minnamurra Marlin M4, the $30,000 sire the Dickens purchased out of the 2018 Minnamurra Speckle Park Sale, and was expected to calve late September.
Also on offer on the day was 49 pregnancy-tested-in-calf commercial heifers that sold to a $1765 average. They were all secured by online buyers.
Bowyer and Livermore conducted the sale with Brian Leslie from Dairy Livestock Services the auctioneer.
- Full story to come in this week's issue of The Land.
