Nampara Freedom sells for $85,000 to stud duo

The massive crowd of 70 registered bidders from Qld, NSW, Vic and SA also witnessed a new $85,000 SA Angus on-property bull sale record.

Stud principals the Hann family have built a strong following over the past decade with their strong commercial focus on fertility and carcase traits, but Lot 3, Nampara Freedom L21 was recognised by many astute stud and commercial cattle breeders as something special.

The 958 kilogram bull was the heaviest in the draft and had the largest eye muscle at scanning of 129 square centimetres.

AI bred by  Atahua Freedom- a bull sold for $35,000 in New Zealand in 2012- and out of a SAV Pioneer 7301 daughter.

Freedom had the Breedplan figures to match including an eye muscle figure of +8.1 – top 5pc of the breed and positive fat of +0.7 rib fat and +0.1 rump fat.

Elders auctioneer Ross Milne took an opening bid of $15,000 before $5000 rises to the magical $85,000 price tag.

The successful buyers were Jim Wedge and Jackie Chard, Ascot Angus, Warwick, Qld and Trent Walker, Keringa Angus, Culburra.

Mr Wedge said it would be a tremendous outcross sire for both herds and would complement Ascot’s TeMania Emperor and Ascot Hallmark daughters.

“His near perfect structure, overall thickness and meat,  temperament, and head structure and carriage is everything we like,” he said.

The new owners will market semen in coming months.

 Gilmandyke Angus, Orange, NSW were the losing bidder.

It smashed Nampara’s previous best stud record of $18,000 in 2011.

Mr Milne said it was a fantastic result for the Hanns.

“To have one of the top 10 Angus bulls ever sold is no mean feat for an Angus sale in SA and it has gone to a couple of good stud programs,” he said.

“They were very consistent types right through the draft and bulls with phenotype, structure and Breedplan figures and that was reflected in a lot of bulls making the around $8000 to $10,000 mark.”

In 2016 Nampara was among the first in Australia to offer sons of Atahua Freedom with 17 sons averaging $7971 but this year 10 sons averaged an exceptional $18,050.

Sixteen bulls made $10,000 or more highlighting the depth of quality in Nampara’s annual bull sale.

Thomas Foods International’s beef manager Petar Bond was the volume buyer securing 10 bulls for their rural properties for a $7550 average.

Boyd and Kaylene McKinnon, Dartmoor, Vic were also in the thick of the action with seven bulls for a $9500 average, including Lot 5, Nampara L133  which they bought for the $15,500 second top price.

The TeMania Gaskin son weighed 940 kilograms.

Stud principal Stuart Hann said the family were thrilled.

“It (Freedom L21) has always been an easy calf to look at and was a lump of a bull the whole way along,” he said.

Equally rewarding as the top money was the strong demand for their consistent offering.

“People are obviously looking for depth and muscle and ability to get back in calf and have a product finished by two years of age which we are aiming for,” he said.

“We are not in it (stud breeding) to breed the next stud bull but like our heifers and our first cross ewes we just want to do the best job we can with the whole lot.”

Elders conducted the sale.