Reputation, reputation, reputation. It's a bit like the location mantra in the real estate game, but in this case, it was quality in the yarding for the 33 annual Hunter Valley Angus Breeders Association sale, where a pen of 10 cows with calves made $3300 a unit.
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McGrath Upper Hunter Livestock's Stuart Sheldrake said despite the worrying dry times in the Upper Hunter, the sale's reputation carried the day with solid values for the cattle sold last Thursday.
"Everyone should be pleased with today's prices," Mr Sheldrake said.
He added that the quality of the cattle offered and the number of return buyers reinforced the sale's reputation.
This year's total offering was almost 300 head more than last year. There was also a significant contrast in the prices for last year's offering, with one of the driest five-month periods in the Upper Hunter in 140 years of record keeping, according to agronomist Ross Watson, Ross Watson Agriculture, Scone.
In the offering of 292 cows with calves, prices ranged between $1100 to $3300, for a $1924 average.
In the heifers, 155 were priced between $700 to $1340, averaging $1042, while 93 weaner heifers were priced from $500 to $930, averaging $790.
In the pregnancy-tested-in-calf offering, 317 heifers sold from $600 to $1750, averaging $1283, while 69 PTIC cows sold from $975 to $1650 for a $1223 average.
James Milner, Blainey, was the pre-sale judge and selected a pen of cows with calves from Waverley Station, Gundy, as the champion pen of that classification.
These were then top-priced pen, making $3300. Waverley Station was also the vendor of last year's top-priced pen, which sold for $5050 - a second pen of 10 Waverley cows with calves sold for $2950.
Waverley also sold 36 PTIC Angus-cross heifers, averaging $1500, with Singleton agent Roger Fuller acting on behalf of an unnamed client.
Tivoli Angus, Merriwa exhibited the winning pen of pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers to Tivoli-bred sons of Capitalist Paratrooper.
Manager of Tivoli, Hugh Kraefft, said it was the first time Tivoli had exhibited at the sale and said after the driest summer he'd experienced it was helpful to lighten up some numbers.
The top-priced PTIC heifers were a pen of 10 Te Mania-blood Angus offered by Vinery Properties, Scone, in calf to a low birth weight Alexander Downs Angus bull. Vinery sold another pen of 10 PTIC heifers for $1625.
HJ and JH McKillop, Blandford, exhibited the champion pen of weaner heifers, a pen of 14 Angus-cross that sold for $920.
The champion pen of crossbred cattle went to a pen of 12 Angus/Devon cows with calves, offered by Peter and Yvonne Fleming, NT Fleming and Company, Brookdale, Upper Rouchel.
They sold for $2000 and were bought by a Bowyer and Livermore agent on behalf of a Lower Hunter client.
The Flemings also sold a pen of nine Angus cross cows with calves for $2125 and a pen of 11, same description, for $1950.
Simon Chamberlain
I have comprehensive experience in rural and regional journalism, as well as more than six years as a media officer for several politicians and worked in local government. I rejoined The Land in May 2022 and have loved being back in harness, reporting on a massive range of topics.
I have comprehensive experience in rural and regional journalism, as well as more than six years as a media officer for several politicians and worked in local government. I rejoined The Land in May 2022 and have loved being back in harness, reporting on a massive range of topics.
