An ideal herd sire rose to the top of the Rutherford familys Stanford Poll Hereford sale on Bathampton, near Barthurst on Friday.
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Stanford Troll T245 topped the catalogue selling for $14,000 and was purchased by Ralph Burgess, Rosehill, Lyndhurst.
The 19-month-old, Stanford Presto P042 son, weighed 698 kilograms and measured a scrotal measurement of 37 centimetres.
He recorded an above average 200 day weight estimated breeding value of +38, along with a rump fat value of +1 and retail beef yield figure of +1.2.
He was described in the catalogue as being close to the ideal herd bull, being thick, sound with great skin.
David Garndiner, Nutrien Ag Solutions Bathurst purchased the bull on behalf of Mr Burgess, said he admired the bull for his moderate growth pattern, along with his soft skin and hair type.
The long term buyer for the Stanford runs 60 breeding females with heifers being retained and the steer portion being turned off as heavy trade steers.
Mr Burgess also purchased Stanford Timbuktu T017 for $7500.
The second top-priced bull was Stanford Tahiti T008, purchased by Pat Woods, Hobbys Yards, for $9000.
Sired by Yavenvale Nimble N271, Tahiti recorded a birth weight figure of +0.5, placing him in the top 10 per cent of the breed.
He was a heifers first calf and recorded a scrotal measurement of 39cm while weighing 682kg.
He also ranked in the top 5pc for calving ease traits with a figure if +10 for calving ease direct and +8.6 for calving ease daughters, while having a milk estimated breeding value of +20.
There were two females who claimed the top-priced female being sold for $2500.
The first was Stanford Helen S210, a 31 month-old heifer purchased by The McCormack family, Laggan.
Helen S210 was offered with a February drop heifer calf at foot sired by Stanford Sonnet S092 and recorded a direct calving ease daughters figure in the top 15pc of +5.9.
The McCormack's also purchased the second equal top-priced female Stanford Pales S222.
She recorded a low birth weight value of +2.4, placing her in the top 15pc, while also recording an above breed average gestation length figure of -1.4.
A pen of six station-mated heifers sold to $1700 purchased by Roy and Rosemary Reid, Milthorpe, while a pen of nine cows and calves sold to a top of $2100 for 30-month-old cows.
The volume buyers was Tarella Station, Wilcannia, who purchased four bulls to a top pf $8000 to average $5635.
Stanford stud principal Michael Rutherford said heifer bulls continued to be a great seller for as they have been for many years.
"Another noticeable thing is that it is not necessarily the bulls with the supposedly best figures making the best money," Mr Rutherford said.
"I think people are beginning to realise that biggest is not always best, when it comes to your female herd those moderate framed females are way more fertile when the going gets tough and you can run more of them on the same amount of grass.
"A number of our clients have proved the same thing."
Overall 21 bulls of the 31 offered sold to a top of $14,000 to average $5857, while all 10 stud heifers and calves sold to a top of $2500 twice to average $2100.
Forty of 46 station-mated heifers sold to $1700 to average $1510 , while all 23 cow and calf units sold to a top of $2100 to average $2066.
The helmsman sale was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions Bathurst, with AuctionsPlus providing the online interface.
