A powerful carcase bull stole the show at the 71st annual Glen Innes Hereford Bull Sale by posting a new record top price of $45,000 for the combined horns and polls.
The sale, held at the Glen Innes saleyards on July 29, is the longest running multi-vendor bull sale in regional Australia.
A total of 78 horned and polled bulls sold from the 84 offered for an average of $6570 and gross of $512,460.
The horned bulls topped at $45,000 and averaged $8324 while polled bulls topped at $9000 and averaged $4987.
In the female lots, five sold from six offered for a top of $4500 and average of $2700.
Overall, the sale grossed $526,000 and averaged $6337 – a jump of $1685 on last year’s result.
The previous combined top price record of $30,000 was set at the 2015 sale.
The top bull price came early in the sale with Lot 1, Battalion Black Hawk K7 (H), offered by Grant and Kylie Kneipp, Battalion Herefords, Dundee, NSW.
The September 2014 drop son of South Boorook Bombay was snapped up by Frank Hannigan, Franco Herefords, Woodview, NSW, in partnership with Ben and Annabelle Monie, Thornleigh Herefords, Little Plain, NSW.
The bull had BREEDPLAN figures of +116kg for 600 day weight, +3.8sqcm for eye muscle area, +0.3 per cent for intramuscular fat, a supermarket index of +113 and grass fed steer index of +118.
Judge of the show classes, Andrew Klippel, Corryong, Vic, had sashed the bull as junior and grand champion.
Vendor Grant Kniepp rated the bull as the best he had ever bred and had used Black Hawk lightly within his herd.
Battalion retained 50 straws of semen with 100 straws offered with the bull.
Buyer Frank Hannigan said the bull appealed for his physical and performance attributes.
Mr Hannigan said Black Hawk possessed structural soundness, thickness, depth and a strong maternal pedigree – ideal for steer production.
“The sale was very strong with a high clearance, large crowd and good support from commercial buyers,’’ he said.
Mr Hannigan said demand was driven by the buoyant store and prime cattle markets.
Second top price was Lot 11, Kylandee Kickass, sold by Phil Thomas, Kylandee Herefords, Inverell, NSW, and bought for $22,000 by George Hardcastle, McPherson Herefords, Old Kooreelah, NSW.
The 911kg bull had been judged as the yardsman’s pick in the show classes the day before.
Sired by Thornleigh S106 Sharka B309, the October 2014 drop bull had a 600 day weight on BREEDPLAN of +84kg, an eye muscle area of +1.6 sqcm and an intramuscular fat percentage of +0.1.
The top price female, Reevesdale Last Day, and her calf, was sold by Reevesdale Herefords, Gum Flat, NSW, for $4500 to Mickey Mouse Herefords and Weetalabah Herefords, Dulacca, Qld.
In the show classes, Greg Sargeant, Booyong Herefords, Inverell, achieved a childhood dream by exhibiting the champion pen of three bulls.
The Newnham family, Cara Park Herefords, Delungra, showed the champion truckload of six bulls.
Roger Kneipp, Dundee Echo Park Herefords, Dundee, exhibited Lot 15, Dundee Bamboo, to intermediate champion and sold the bull for $9000 to Rookwell Partnership, Croppa Creek, NSW.
Senior champion went to the 986kg Lindendale Kandos, exhibited by Ben Rumbel, Supple Herefords, Guyra, NSW and sold to Bluey Commins, Nunniong Herefords, Ensay, Vic.
Grand champion and top price bull at $45,000 at the 71st Glen Innes Hereford Bull Show and Sale, Battalion Black Hawk K7.
Judge Andrew Klippel, Corryong, Vic, with vendor Grant Kneipp and son Travis with the junior and grand champion bull, Battalion Black Hawk K7.
Battalion Black Hawk K7 was bought in partnership by Franco and Thornleigh Herefords for a sale record top price of $45,000 at Glen Innes.
Vendors Grant, Travis and Kylie Kneipp, Battalion Herefords, Dundee, with their $45,000 record breaking Battalion Black Hawk K7 and Elders auctioneer Andrew Meara.
Photos : Grant Kneipp