Moogenilla Angus' co-principal Sarah Wrigley warned buyers at the studs annual bull sale not to sleep on the first two lots - they took her advice.
Finishing third and second priced lots respectively, the pair were only eclipsed by Lot 13, the 868kg Moogenilla R140, who took top price honours at $52,000.
Moogenilla R39, Lot 2, was purchased for $50,000 while the first lot of the auction, Moogenilla R31, was sold for $46,000.
The sale was a success for Ms Wrigley and Paul Sinderberry, with the stud based north-west of Condobolin enjoying it's 13th auction at Forbes Central West Livestock Exchange and finishing with a 100 per cent clearance of 49 lots, averaging $20,204 - a big increase on last year's $14,583 average.
The top priced lot will be heading north of the border, purchased by Hardy Woodard, Taloumbi Stud, Eidsvold, QLD, who have 400 Brangus stud cows and sell 40 to 50 bulls a year.
Taloumbi use Angus to control birthweight and to manage other issues.
Mr Woodard purchased Moogenilla R140 over the phone after seeing his video on AuctionsPlus.
"He stood out as a seedstock bull for our Brangus herd," Mr Woodard said.
"I liked his head, which is more of a traditional Angus head, his character and his presence.
"He's by a bull with a clean coat, has soft movement, loose skin, a moderate to heavy size and has a good frame on the mother's side too.
"He was the standout of the sale for me and we needed him. That's why I went the extra mile to get him."
Along with strong body confirmation, Moogenilla R140, out of Te Mania Emperor E343 and Moogenilla N146, also had good scan numbers with a +5.2 EMA, +1.1 rib, +0.3 rump, +2.3 IMF, and a +2.8 scrotal size index.
Second top priced lot, Moogenilla R39, was purchased by repeat buyer Ted Aston, Redlands, Thuddungra.
Sales were well spread with a number of buyers purchasing three or four lots.
Ms Wrigley was understandably pleased with the sale result.
"The average was up and with 100 per cent clearance which is very satisfying as it shows there is confidence in what we are doing," she said.
"The top price was down $12,000 on last year but we had a lovely stud sire that went into the semen distribution industry with some top class studs.
"I'm happy with the top bull this year. He's a super, cracking bull, and the other two at the front were great two.
"With this line of bulls we had a little bit more home breeding from our own stud sires and a little bit more birthweight on average.
"This was because in 2019, we had a terrible drought in Condobolin which had been going on two years before this line was conceived.
"So we sent the mature cows out to the far, far west of the state and we had to just send our big mature bulls out where we knew they could do a great job in those pastoral areas.
"So we had a few less numbers of low birthweight AI bulls here but the ones we did were great.
"It was a little bit of a different balance mix to what we normally have and what we will have again next year.
"Anybody who missed out on those high index, low birthweight, high growth bulls that we normally have, we will be back next year with a lot more of those."
Kevin Miller, Whitty, Lennon & Co (KMWL) Forbes conducted the sale with Luke Whitty handling auctioneer duties.
KMWL's Sam Parish said the team were very pleased with the event.
"It was a great result and a real credit to the Moogenilla team," he said.
"They put up a line up with huge quality throughout and that shows in an increase of around $5,500 in the average.
"it was great to see a number of studs involved as bidders today as well. Overall it was a cracking sale."
The sale was also interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
