Northern NSW and Tasmania interest pushed the Wirruna Poll Hereford's annual Autumn bull and female sale to $22,000.
The Locke family of Holbrook sold 50 bulls of 58 offered for an average of $8120, one of their highest average's on record.
Demand for females was also very strong, all ten individual lots selling to $5250, with an average of $3325, while the 66 sold as group lots topped at $2600 and averaged $2418.
Wirruna stud principal, Ian Locke said the sale showed solid signs that cows had become as valuable as people had predicted several months ago.
The top-selling bull, Wirruna Neutron N449, was purchased by Cascade Poll Hereford and Angus stud of Currabubula, near Tamworth.
Mr Locke said the sale-topper, sold as Lot 6, was a unique bull in their system.
"He's B-minus muscle and very easy-doing, so that combination of easy-fleshing ability is something that I'm certainly after and he demonstrated really well," Mr Locke said.
Wirruna Neutron had an IMF of +2.2, EMA of +7.1, carcase weight of +64 and rib and rump fat of +1.6 and +1.7 respectively.
He had a 400-day growth weight of +64 and 600-day growth weight of +86.
Mr Locke said the bull's dam, Wirruna Victoria J199, produced a similar bull for last year's sale which also sold well.
"She is building up a good track record," Mr Locke said.
Wirruna Neutron's sire, Wirruna Killara K106, went back to Wirrua Fletcher, a line Mr Locke said had given them a lot of good animals.
"There were a lot of bulls in the sale that went back to Fletcher, he gives us good carcases, in particular marbling," Mr Locke said.
Cascade Poll Hereford stud manager, Jack Smith, said Neutron's EBVs and overall softness and quality stood out to him.
Mr Smith said it was their first bull purchase from Wirruna and he hoped it would improve their bull's doability.
He explained it had been a big day for the stud, as they also purchased one of the top-selling bull's from Pathfinder Angus' sale.
Tasmania competition also drove up prices, top sales included Wirruna Peter Pan P076, a Monymusk Eiffel Tower son, who sold for $17,000 to WR and E Hine, Marrawah, Tasmania and Wirruna Napier N216, who had an EMA of +9.3 and was purchased for $16,000 by Killara Pastoral, Whitemark, Tas, via AuctionsPlus.
The Helmsman auction was interfaced with AuctionsPlus and settled by Atkins Livestock Marketing, Albury.
- Full report in next week's edition of The Land.