The 55th Herefords Australia National Sale saw a top line-up of Hereford bulls sell to $55,000 and average $9040.
Held online via AuctionsPlus due to COVID-19 restrictions, 100 of 110 bulls sold in the online sale for a clearance of 91 percent and a sale gross of $904,000.
Show and sale coordinator Jamie-Lee Oldfield was very pleased with the outcome considering the events leading up to the sale.
“The sale matched and probably exceeded our expectations given the changed format.
“It’s a really positive result, we’re really happy with the outcome,” Ms. Oldfield said.
The top price of the sale of $55,000 was paid for Yarawa South Paradise P112, offered by the Forster-Peel Partnership of Batlow, NSW.
20-month-old Paradise was purchased in a 50/50 partnership between Valma and Nova Poll Hereford studs in Tasmania.
Sired by imported U.S. sire KCF Bennett Homeland C34, Paradise weighed in at 895 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 45 centimetres.
Cam Clements of Nova Poll Herefords and Andrew McLauchlan of Valma Poll Herefords were both impressed by the combination of phenotype and the strong EBV set that Paradise had on offer.
“His fats and IMF were one of the main things we were drawn to.
“He has a very soft skin and good doing ability which is very important in the commercial market.
“He’s also an outcross sire with a good set of EBVs that will compliment our cow herd really well,” Mr McLauchlan said.
Paradise is a low birth weight bull with an IMF EBV in the top five percent of the breed and an eye muscle area EBV in the top 10 percent.
Mr Clements commended Paradise’s structure and EBVs, combined with softness and easy doing ability.
“We like the structure in the bull and the depth in his hind quarter.
“He had everything we were looking for and Andrew and I felt he was the complete package,” Mr Clements said.
Greg Peel of Forster-Peel Partnership was very happy with the sale result and said they have been focussing on carcase traits within their herd.
“We’re aiming to improve our carcase with good growth, good milk and easy calving,” Mr Peel said.
The second top price of the sale was $42,000 which was paid for yearling bull, Tarcombe Encore Q053, offered by Tarcombe Herefords, Ruffy, Victoria.
At only 13 months of age, Encore weighed 668 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 40 centimetres.
Purchased by Yavenvale Herefords in Adelong NSW, Encore was sired by U.S. sire KCF Bennett Encore Z311 and out of a Tarcombe Cora female sired by Wirruna Fort F382.
Tarcome Encore Q053 offered a very strong EBV set with a scrotal circumferences and IMF EBV in the top five percent of the breed and 200, 400, 600-day weights in the top 10 percent of the breed.
James Pearce of Yavenvale Herefords was drawn to Encore’s impressive genetic package combined with his excellent phenotype.
“It’s rare to find that combination of performance data with outcross genetics and a pretty impressive phenotype, so we thought he was pretty unique in that respect,” Mr. Pearce said.
Mr. Pearce was also drawn to the fact that Encore was one of the youngest bulls offered in the catalogue which will promote faster rates of genetic gain.
“It’s pretty exciting that a bull this young sold so well,” Mr. Pearce said.
Grand champion bull of the Wodonga National Show, Kanimbla Power Town P067 made the third highest price of the sale at $30,000.
Power Town was purchased in partnership between 3R Livestock and Bowen Downs Poll Herefords.
The August 2018 drop bull impressed show judge Erica Halliday of Ben Nevis Angus in the show classes, and equally impressed Geoff Birchnell of 3R Livestock.
“The bull himself is a standout individual, he’s a hard bull to fault,” Mr. Birchnell said.
Another son of an imported U.S. sire; NJW 73S W18 Hometown 10Y, Kanimbla Power Town P067 weighed 916 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 42 centimetres.
Mr Birchnell was particularly drawn to the NJW Hometown genetic line having had success with similar genetics and having seen Hometown progeny sell well across the world.
“Hometown progeny are commercially relevant, and the line has been so well proven – there are between 10,000 and 15,000 registered Hometown progeny around the world.
“We’ve used the Hometown line before and been really impressed with the cattle he has produced.
“Throughout the drought our Hometown cattle performed really well and maintained very high fertility,” Mr Birchnell said.
Adding to Power Town’s genetic merit is a well-rounded set of EBVs, with milk, scrotal circumference, EMA, carcase weight and retail beef yield figures in the top five percent of the breed and 200, 400 and 600-day weight EBVs in the top 10 percent of the breed.
NJW 73S W18 Hometown 10Y is also the grandsire of top priced bull Yarawa South Paradise P112.
A second Kanimbla bull; Kanimbla Tundra P110 made the equal fourth top price of the sale, selling for $22,000 to Yavenvale Herefords.
Weighing in at 803 kilograms with an IMF EBV in the top five percent of the breed, Tundra appealed to James Pearce of Yavenvale Herefords with his impressive carcase data and well balanced EBVs.
“He’s got very strong carcase data with a really high IMF EBV and terrific balanced figures.
“I found him a really eye-catching bull,” Mr. Pearce said.
According to Mr Pearce the two bulls Yavenvale purchased are part of a continued effort to maintain their herd’s extremely high carcase EBVs with a particular focus on IMF.
The second bull to make $22,000 was Mawarra Star Attraction P033, which sold to Philip Davie of Guilford Poll Herefords, Ouse, Tasmania.
Sired by renowned New Zealand sire Koanui Techno 3062, Star Attraction boasts 400 and 600-day weight EBVs in the top one percent of the breed and is in the top five percent for scrotal circumference and IMF.
27-month-old Star Attraction weighed in at 1132 kilograms with the top scrotal measurement of the catalogue of 49 centimetres.
While buying strength at the top end of the sale was underpinned by stud buyers, agents reported great commercial enquiry in the lead up to the sale, which was reflected in the overall sale clearance.
David Hill of Elders Omeo purchased six bulls in the sale on behalf of a number of commercial clients who would normally attend the sale in person.
“The guys we were buying for wanted horned bulls and they’ve been buying bulls [at Wodonga] for years.
“There’s a lot of positives that came out of the sale, I reckon the format was really good,” Mr Hill said.
Vendors and purchasers commended the innovative new format that was adopted for the 2020 National Show and Sale, noting the exceptional result given the different circumstances.
“The organisers have done an outstanding job, I couldn’t fault it in any way,” Mr. Clements said.
“The whole format was really good and innovative,” Mr Birchnell said.
Ms. Oldfield also commended the videographers; Ben Hooper, Brandon Sykes and Emily Hurst on what was a “momentous task” to get all the bulls photographed and videoed in time for the judging and sale.
Yarawa South Paradise P112 made the top price of $55,000 and sold to Valma and Nova Poll Hereford studs in Tasmania.
Yearling bull Tarcombe Encore Q053 sold for $42,000 to Yavenvale Herefords.
Grand champion bull Kanimbla Power Town P067 made the third highest price of the sale at $30,000 and was purchased in partnership between 3R Livestock and Bowen Downs Poll Herefords.
Kanimbla Tundra P110 made the equal fourth top price of the sale, selling for $22,000 to Yavenvale Herefords.
Mawarra Star Attraction P033 also sold for $22,000 to Philip Davie of Guilford Poll Herefords.
