IT WAS a strong bidding war between at least six contenders finalising with a $44,000 nod to buy the grand champion at the 2019 Dectomax 60th annual Dubbo Shorthorn National Sale last Wednesday.
The popular Adelaide and Sydney Royal grand champion and this fixture's Division 3 and grand champion Sprys Extra Special N61 was knocked-down to Greg and Megan Schuller and family for their Outback stud and commercial operation, Culcairn.
A total of 54 bulls sold at auction from a 115 head offering for a $6741 average while another seven bulls sold post-auction bringing the average back to $6426.
Last year 91 bulls averaged $6670.
Sprys Extra Special was bred and offered by Sprys Shorthorns, Wagga Wagga, and Spencer Family Stud moving soon to Rutherglen from Yuroke, Victoria, and is a 918 kilogram son of Muridale Thermal Energy 15A at 23 months carried a 127 centimetre eye muscle area (EMA) with 23mm of rump fat and 15mm at rib.
Greg Schuller said he had seen the bull as a calf and always liked him.
"Thermal Energy is really kicking some goals at the moment and the data coming through his progeny is very suited to our programs," he said. "His phenotype characteristics coupled with his maturity and marbling of quality fats is exactly where we need to be, so the get a son as good as all that with a heap of carcase and performance in him, we had to add him into our programs."
Outback runs 200 stud breeders plus a commercial herd upwards to 500 cows in a Wagyu crossbreeding program at Culcairn.
Mr Schuler later sold New Zealand semen rights to Ken Morton, Morton Shorthorns, Kati Kati, NZ.
A large commercial Shorthorn, Hereford and Angus 500 cow breeding operation run by Chris and Debbie White and family, Fonthill Farm and Deeck Pastoral at Oatlands, Melton and Mowbray, Tasmania, returned after two years and outlaid $34,000 on thee bulls including the $18,000 second top-priced Trojon Southern Cross Nic by Ronelle Park Hurricane, second placegetter 21 months bred by Trent Johnstone, Trojon stud, Lyndhurst.
Annika White said they returned after a two year absence. "We market our steers through the Greenham's GAP (Global Animal Partnership) program normally straight off mum at eight months weighing just over 300kg," she said.
Third top money at $12,000 was paid by the show judge, Peter Falls, Malton stud and Burrabogie South, Finley, for the Division 4 champion, Polldale Neat by Royalla Quandialla, with New Zealand semen rights bought by the Brown family's Browns Shorthorns, Morrinsvalle, Waikato, NZ.
Mr Falls said Neat was sound and structurally right and had so much offering in his package. "I really admire this bull," he said.
Hadley Brown said Neat was a standout. "We liked him when we first saw him."
Kim Williams and family Polldale stud, Dubbo, later paid $10,000 for Royalla Ultimate, from the Job family, Yeoval, who also gained $10.000 for Royalla Uptown from the Maschay stud, Dean, Vic.
Calrossy Anglican School's Kamilaroi stud, Tamworth, sold four bulls at auction for a $7500 average including the $10,000 Kamilaroi Quandong by Yamburgan Emperor to Old Gulgong Partnership, Mudgee. Another two post-sale bulls at $4000 each brought the average back to $6333.
The Morris family, Tarraganda stud, Young sold five bulls with two at $10,000 each including the Division 2 champion and Sydney royal reserve senior Tarraganda TG Night Rider selling to Phillip Roan, Dunroan, Latrobe, Tasmania. The other was second placegetter Tarraganda GG Nitro bought by Ross and Janelle Johnstone, Ronelle Park stud, Lyndhurst.
Newenham Pty Ltd, Mount Barker, South Australia, purchased four bulls averaging $6000 including the $8000 junior class winner Tarranganda A PBL Nebraska and $7000 for Division 4 reserve champion Caskieben Zeus
John Kempton, The Meadows, Pinkett, bought five bulls at $4000 each while Ronald and Judi Bowman, Meruthera,Dunedoo, purchasedt three Caskieben bulls at $4000 each and Jim Bowman, Merotherie, Dunedoo, two at $4000 from Polldale and Yanco studs. Andrew and Kathy Wall, Wall and Neindorf, Langidoon Station, Little Topar, three at $4000 each.
The sale was conducted by Landmark and Elders stud stock, Dubbo, with auctioneers Joel Fleming, Tamworth, Landmark and Paul Dooley, Tamworth, Elders.
