Banquet Angus, Mortlake, Vic, just broke the record for the highest-priced bull ever sold at a Victorian auction and was purchased by a NSW stud.
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The bull, Banquet Tom Cruise T220, sold for $230,000 at the stud's on-property bull sale on Thursday to beat the previous record of $130,000, which was set by Te Mania Angus, Mortlake, Vic, in 2022.
The current national record for a bull sale of any breed is the $360,000 sale of a bull at Texas Angus, Warialda, last year.
The Banquet bull was one of 94 bulls offered at the stud's sale.
The 19-month-old Tom Cruise T220 was described by the stud as being a "very-muscular, big-loined, wide-topped, rugged, extremely-thick and exceptionally quiet bull".
The bull was purchased by Bannaby Angus, Taralga, which had been on the lookout for new bulls.
Bannaby Angus principal, Keith Kerridge, said he's been buying a few new bulls for the stud's sire battery, also including the $190,000 Milwillah Sergeant S791 at last September's Milwillah sale.
Mr Kerridge said the stud's program had for the past 10 years been strongly focused on structure, so was now also buying high indexing bulls to enhance its numbers, building on the gains made through the past decade.
He said the bull was purchased to use as a walking sire in the Bannaby herd, but would also offer opportunities for other herds to buy semen.
Mr Kerridge said he bought with confidence, having already had experience with the $230,000 bull's bloodlines through existing breeding programs at Bannaby.
This included having purchased Ben Nevis Jean H215 in partnership with Banquet in 2020. Tom Cruise T220's sire, Ben Nevis Rambo R230, was a grandson of the $82,000 Jean H215, who is a top donor for the Bannaby and Banquet studs.
"And we've bought a number of Banquet females over the years and have also done embryo programs together," Mr Kerridge said.
"We like their cattle ... (and this was) a high indexing bull with good structure and will enhance our program."
Tom Cruise T220 was out of Banquet Quiet R329, described by Banquet as a "powerful and robust, young female" and T220's maternal great granddam, Banquet Quiet Y091, was also one of Banquet's most-successful cows.
"Whenever a Banquet Quiet Y091 son has been offered, they have featured as standouts of the sale," the stud said in its catalogue.
T220's record price significantly exceeded Banquet's previous best top of $65,000, which was also Banquet Quiet Y091 son, sold in 2022.
This year's record-setting bull came with estimated breeding values of +2.9 birth weight, +50 200-day weight, +107 400-day weight, +144 600-day weight, +7 eye muscle area and +4.3 intramuscular fat.
The bull was purchased via AuctionsPlus through Nutrien Bathurst on behalf of Bannaby.
Joely Mitchell
Joely started her career at Stock & Land as a cadet journalist in 2016. She is now the editor of the paper.
Joely started her career at Stock & Land as a cadet journalist in 2016. She is now the editor of the paper.
