Benelkay Santa Gertrudis stud achieves $30,000 top and $10,243 average at 2021 sale

A total of 32 registered bidders gathered at the Orman family's property, Glenmore, Mullaley, while many more from as far away as Queensland and Tasmania followed the sale online via AuctionsPlus to get their hands on the 40 bulls up for bids.

In the end, 37 of the 40 bulls sold for a clearance rate of 92.5 per cent and with a top of $30,000 reached for Benelkay Quartermaster Q012, which was purchased by Hallcraig Santas, Deepwater.

The 25-month-old son of Burramurra Boss and out of Benelkay H087 weighed 955 kilograms, was rated in the top five pc of the breed for 200 and 600-day growth weight, as well as mature cow weight, eye muscle area (EMA) and retail beef yield.

"He had a lot of presence and was a beautifully-balanced bull," Hallcraig Santas director Jock Cuninghame told The Land.

"I thought his weight-for age and his beautiful hindquarter were the things that stood out the most to me and the fact he has done all of that natural feed without any grain in him made him a real standout bull."

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Mr Cuninghame said he would waste no time putting the polled 25-month-old to work on his Deepwater stud.

"He will pretty much get off the truck and straight to work with our stud cows," he said.

"I've bought two bulls here before in previous years and they have done quite well at home, he's just a bit of a different style of bull to what I have bought in the past.

"However, I'm confident he will do a really good job."

Benelkay stud principal Andrew Orman echoed Mr Cuninghame's sentiments, saying the bull "had stood out right from when he was a calf".

"When we got our scan results on him, they came in at 147 EMA, a lot of people don't frame score anymore but he has got a frame score of eight, so he has certainly got a lot of lift in him," Mr Orman said.

"I think his phenotype also helped get him over the line in terms of topping the sale and I think if the COVID-19 situation wasn't a factor he may have gone for a little bit more, but it doesn't matter because he has gone to a great home.

"In fact, I'm very pleased he went to Jock because I think it might help lift his calves up a bit going forward."

Mr Orman said this year's sale marked several milestones for his operation, including the 10^th anniversary of the on-property sale as well as the 50^th anniversary of the stud.

"It wasn't the highest price we've ever recorded but it was our best average by about $2000," he said.

"I think that's really pleasing, especially given everything that is happening with COVID-19."

Helping spur on the success of this year's sale were bulk buyers such as Noonahvale Pastoral Company, Garah, three bulls at an average of $11,333, Old Bundilla, Warren, four bulls at an average of $6250, Grassbrook Pty Ltd, Manilla, three bulls at an average of $9333 and the Plevey family, Manilla, three bulls at an average of $10,000.

Also among this year's volume buyers was the White family, Walgett, two bulls at an average of $6000, which Mr Orman said had bought its first bull from the stud 50 years ago.

"The White family have been fantastic supporters of ours and I think have bought well over 20 bulls during that time," he said.

"It's very pleasing to know that those guys have been pleased with our cattle for so long.

"In saying that, we also had good support from repeat buyers from places like Dubbo, Warren and Manilla.

"Usually, most of our bulls go to about 150km radius, but this year we have seen a lot more bulls go further afield, which is really pleasing to see."

The sale was conducted by Elders Gunnedah with Lincoln McKinlay auctioneering.

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