A decision to drop into the Farrer Angus bull sale while visiting the Tamworth region for Northern Beef Week paid off for Herb Duddy of Sara Park Angus when he secured the top price sire for $6000.
The Helmsman auction saw 22 of 37 bulls sold for a 59 per cent clearance and a $3215 average on Wednesday.
The top price bull and first sale lot of the day, Farrer N9, caught the eye of a lot of visitors during the pre-sale inspection for his estimated breeding values and large frame.
The two-year-old son of Pathfinder Genesis G357 and out of Farrer L69 weighed 796 kilograms with a 43 centimetre scrotal circumference.
He sat in the top one per cent for 200-day, 400-day and 600-day weight along with scrotal size, carcase weight and the heavy grass selection index. Farrer N9 was also in the top 10 per cent for calving ease at +2.9.
The young sire was chased for stud prospects, with Sara Park Angus winning the bidding war over underbidder James Laurie, Knowla Angus, Moppy.
Sara Park Angus stud principal Herb Duddy decided to visit the Farrer sale while he was in the area, having last purchased a bull from the stud in 1995.
He was attracted to Farrer N9 for his figures, conformation and body.
"We are just on a Beef Week thing and I thought I'd come here," he said.
"I'll use him over stud cows as back up from the AI program. You can't buy them any cheaper than that."
Farrer Angus stud manager Marty Peeters said the school was expecting a clearance of 60 to 70 per cent and were happy with the support from both new and repeat clients.
He said N9 was always seen as a stud prospect and was one of the first drop of calves by their AI sire, Pathfinder Genesis G357.
"We have only used him (Pathfinder Genesis G357) once to see what the calves have been like," he said.
"He was a fairly growthy bull, large frame, which is evident in what N9 has turned out like so he has been pretty true to type with his EBVs. We are pretty happy with him."
The sale and Angus stud is run by the school's students who study a certificate three in agriculture.
They make breeding decisions, plan the joinings, watch calvings, vaccinate and decide which bulls will be offered for sale.
The second top price at $4000 was Farrer N121, a son of Te Mania Jamalabadi J328 and from Farrer J99.
He was secured by the Hoad family, Dungowan, as their only purchase. He was in the top one per cent for all four Angus selection indexes and in the top five per cent for 400-day and 600-day weight, mature cow weight, days to calving, scrotal size, carcase weight and eye muscle area.
There were 12 successful buyers on the day with the biggest order filled by the Morse family, Bunyamurra, Coolah who secured five sires to average $3000. Repeat buyers, the Miller family, Orethwaite, Walcha, took home four bulls averaging $3062 each.
As the school is a government agency, all bulls that aren't purchased during the auction can not be sold privately and are sent to saleyards.
The sale was conducted by Elders Tamworth.