Brooklana Angus sold 18 of 30 bulls for a 60pc clearance to a top of $7500 at an average of 4600 during dry and blustery conditions at Dorrigo last Friday.
Stud principal Roger Pryce said it was pleasing that this year's draft recorded top one per cent traits for the breed in 18 individual sires, improving rather markedly from just four years ago, when one bull in that year's draft recorded top 1pc for the breed.
Top bull Brooklana Genesis N14 by Pathfinder Genesis sold for $7500 to Ebor graziers Dosern Partnership, first time buyers at Brooklana, who liked the stretch in this Genesis son, which carried the greatest scrotal circumference of all the bulls 45.5cm and came with impressive Breedplan figures including top one per cent growth for 200, 400 and 600-day weights (+64, +111 and +155 respectively) along with mature cow weight (+158) and carcase weight (+89).
The partnership, which has benefited from some of the better grass growth on the Northern New England, also purchased stud principal Roger Pryce's favourite, Brooklana Emperor N28, first son by the sire of the same name, and the heaviest in the draft at 928kg.
This two year old's sire was the reason Mr Pryce bought the pricey Millah Murrah Prue M4 as he believed their combination would bring magic to the Brooklana stud. In the case of N28, he presented with the highest weight of the draft at 928kg and the second highest intra muscular fat at 7.1pc, scrotal at 40cm and EMA at 120 square centimeters.
Lindsay Carter, Leigh via Dorrigo, bought another Genesis son, N10, for $6000 and said he was looking for a sire with high maternal figures to go over black baldy females. This bull, at 868kg with 40cm scrotal recorded top 5pc for calving ease direct (+3.4) and calving ease daughters (+3.8).
Paul Gibbons, Lowanna and Upper Bucca, bought two sires, including a son of Brooklana High Tower for $4000 to service some of his 120 heifers ready to join in anticipation of a better PTIC market come widespread rain. This High Tower son represented the top 1pc of the breed for 600 day growth (+155) and MCW at +158 and CWT (+86) with top 5pc for 200 and 400 day growth (+57 and + 105).
Karen Ryder, Wherrol flat bought Brooklana Reality N7 by Matauri Reality for $5000, presenting at 854kg, 44cm scrotal, 5.9pc IMF and top 1pc for calving ease direct (+5.5), calving ease daughters (+5.0) and gestation length (-13.2).
Brooklana sale was conducted by Ray White Dorrigo with auctioneer Paul Dooley.