A bull with phenotype, figures and muscling, rarely found in a single package in the Angus breed was the reason the Harbison family of Dunoon Angus, Holbrook, had a smile from ear to ear as their star bull rocketed to $140,000 on Friday.
The bull purchased by Jim and Jackie Wedge, Ascot Angus, Warwick, the Bateman family, Gilmandyke Angus, Molong, and the Burton Taylor family at Kennys Creek Angus, Boorowa, set a new season high as several stud buyers went toe to toe before the syndicate laid the final blow to ABS Australia who was the underbidder.
Registered as Dunoon P758 but now named Dunoon Prime Minister, he was a son of the Rennylea L508 sire, with impeccable structure and a balance of figures that were desirable to many.
He had a heavy grain Index of +$181, +137 600 day growth, +126 mature cow weight, +9 for eye muscle area, +3.4 intramuscular fat percentage, all wrapped up in a 1012 kilogram package just a day shy of his second birth day.
Jim Wedge, Ascot Angus, Warwick, who will have full walking rights to the bull, said he was a rare find in the Angus breed, with a bull that has phenotype and muscling in a single package and estimated breeding values that our markets are looking for.
"Bulls like him are hard to find and with high IMF and EMA, these bulls usually lack muscling, but this fella bucked the trend," he said.
The sentiments were echoed by Sam Burton-Taylor, Kennys Creek Angus, who was on the ground to buy the bull, and was happy they found a bull that can hold such great carcase figures, especially EMA and IMF in a bull that has so much meat.
"He was like a teenager in the under eights, he stood out that much," he said.
Mr Burton-Taylor had used the Rennylea L519 sire, but they lacked the muscle expression of the top bull.
"His mature cow weight was not overbearing and he was not a huge framed bull, he just had wonderful thickness and a great balance of figures," he said.
It was a cracking day for the team at Dunoon as all 115 bulls cleared to a staggering $12,434 average, which nearly doubled from the $6491 recorded the same time last year.
Stud principal Jock Harbison was humbled by the support of his program and went on to say the interest in P758 was incredible in the lead up to the sale
Mr Harbison said he was a bull they had used heavily themselves and was a good industry bull with volume, muscle pattern, docility and structure and the sire background of Rennylea L508 had also shone through in his daughters, as a very functional type of female.
It was not all high prices with 16 or 14 per cent of the bulls selling between $4000 and $7000, while a further 32 or 28pc sold between $7000 and $10,000 to offer a great range of bulls for all budgets.
The sale was interfaced with Auctionsplus, who bid strongly during the day and took home 14 bulls for bidders to a top of $16,000 to average $11,214.
Next door neighbours Ardrossan, Holbrook, set the pace and took home 13 bulls, including the second top priced bull Dunoon P746 at $20,000 to average $14,538.
Nick Allen. Boorook Partners, Boorook, Mortlake, Victoria, couldn't get away due to restrictions, so bid up over the phone for five at a $9800 average.
Mr Allen bought at Dunoon for the first time last year and is just seeing the first calves on the ground this year, but with the potential to be turned back at the border stayed at home and bid over the phone.
Mr Allen likes the carcase qualities of the Dunoon cattle and was chasing bulls with good EMA that could produce calves ready to be sent to JBS at 16 months of age, weighing 600 kilograms.
He will join 800 cows this year and believes several factors contributed to the sale being dearer this year, such as NSW conditions, but mainly the bulls were a stronger draft of bulls and he came expecting to pay $10,000 for his five bulls.
Verge Pastoral, Negambie, Vic, loaded six at $14,167, paying to $18,000.
Brian, Harold and Lesley Shore, Shore Pastoral Company, Tumut, came chasing bulls with carcase, Milk and IMF and in particular the V A R Discovery 2240 sons.
Harrison Daley, Elders, Tumut, spoke on behalf of the family, saying they wanted carcase bulls with all round figures to join their 650 cow herd.
JD and CA Braddock, Koolewong, Braidwood, bought four at $11,250, as did GH and AJ Burston and Partners, Benambra, Vic, while DH and JG Hanna, Walwa, Vic, found some bargains within, securing three bulls at a $5333 average.
The sale was conducted by Elders with Lincoln McKinlay as the auctioneer.