SALE SUMMARY
2018 2017
Offered 124 122
Sold 120 122
Top $24,000 $32,000
Av $8608 $9336
PATHFINDER stud’s 21st annual sale was one to celebrate, again topping the SA Angus Week averages.
Repeat buyers from across southern Australia, from SA, Vic and Tas, provided spirited bidding, ensuring 120 of 124 bulls, offered by Nick and Sara Moyle, averaged a sensational $8608.
More than one third of the bulls at the Naracoorte sale made $10,000 or more, including a son of Carabar Docklands D62 which stole the show.
Lot 11, Pathfinder Docklands M35, kicked off at $10,000. before Landmark stud stock’s Richard Miller put in the winning bid at the sale’s top price of $24,000
He was operating on behalf of the Tiller family’s Goolagong stud, Warnertown, who have largely built their stud herd on Pathfinder genetics.
Mr Miller described the 930 kilogram bull as the pick of SA Angus Week.
“He is a bull for the industry now – not a big bull but has the easy fleshing ability and natural thickness, is so quiet and the data is very good,” he said.
“Carabar Docklands has bred so consistently for a lot of people but especially Pathfinder so we wanted a son.”
Docklands sons have topped many Angus sales across Australia in the past couple of years, selling up to $110,000.
“When you cross him right with the likes of a Daiquiri or another soft easy fleshing bull you get something outstanding which is what we have got,” Mr Moyle said.
Docklands M35 was in the top 5 per cent on 200, 400 and 600 day growth
Goolagong also bought a spring drop Pathfinder Emperor H368 son for $8000.
Two buyers paid the $16,000 second highest price.
Roblyn Pastoral Company, Kingston, bought the 938 kilogram son of Pathfinder Jackpot J112 at Lot 27.
For the same money, Dave Harvey, King Island, Tas, bought a son of Pathfinder Genesis G357 at Lot 67.
Genesis has just become ABS Australia’s most heavily used Angus sire.
Mr Harvey was one of the major buyers with five bulls for a $12,600 average.
Strong top end supporters the Woodard family, Peel Pastoral, Wrattonbully, again left their mark on the sale with seven bulls for a $9429 average.
Their second buy of the day was the 100th bull they have bought off the Moyles in the past 20 years.
Todd Woodard said because they used the bulls twice a year they could justify spending more than the average price on bulls.
“We join an autumn and winter calving herd so we get to use the bulls twice (a year).Our bull price per calf is in the range it should be,” he said.
Kumara SE, Kalangadoo, was also a buying force with five bulls for a $7000 average and Penola Park bought four bulls for a $9000 average.
Six pens of PTIC cows were the curtain raiser to the bull sale with 55 head making between $1600 and $1930.
John and Paula Kilgariff, Bray, paid the top price for 10 2009 and 2010 drops.
Stud principal Nick Moyle said their aim was to have the most profitable clients in the livestock industry.
“They (Repeat buyers) make our business and we try and look after them as best we can,” he said.
“It gives us a lot of pleasure to see them come back and their programs are working for them.”
Landmark’s Albury based stud stock auctioneer Kevin Norris said Pathfinder was one of the few Angus studs which had successfully balanced phenotype and figures.
“There is a number of cattle that are being bred on creative accountacy alone but the art of breeding is to have your conformation right and I do believe that to be the case here at Pathfinder,” he said.