THE Belmore Shorthorn stud achieved a healthy average and top at its fifth annual sale near Naracoorte on Thursday last week.
But dry conditions in many parts of Australia, particularly pastoral areas, meant some buyers were missing, which led the clearance rate back.
There were 36 bulls sold in the ring out of 53 offered, with a further nine bulls sold following the sale.
An average of $6972 was achieved and a top of $28,000.
The top price bull was a Roan knocked down to Ray Brook, who runs the Eloora Shorthorn stud with his son Dion at Cavendish, Vic.
Eloora will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year but this was the first time they had bought from Belmore.
Mr Brook said the 18-month-old bull was well-suited to their breeding program.
“It’s got a good balance of figures and the muscling we’re looking for,” he said.
Belmore Quantum M303 weighed 900 kilograms with an eye muscle area of 132 square centimetres.
It was sired by Belmore Quantur G193 and out of Belmore Blue Wren B331, who was a maternal sister to Belmore Ipswich Y189, the grand champion at the National Shorthorn Show & sale at Dubbo, NSW in 2005.
The top price bull ranked in the top five per cent of the breed for 400-day weight, milk and EMA and the top 10pc for carcaseweight and retail beef yield.
The second highest price of the sale went to guest vendors John and Lyn Nitschke, Carlton stud.
Carlton Mr Miyagi M55 made $22,500 and sold to Manchee Agriculture for their Yamburgan Shorthorn stud, Narrabri, NSW.
The 23-month-old bull weighed 938kg and had 112sqcm EMA.
Carlton sold four bulls for an average of $9250 in the ring.
Belmore principal Andy Withers said it was a shame dry conditions kept some buyers away.
“We needed a volume buyer from the pastoral country, which we’ve had in the past,” he said.
“We’ve got good clients out of Broken Hill, NSW, and north of Roxby Downs, but they couldn’t operate because it’s just too dry.”
Buying support from four states and some new buyers helped underpin the results.
One of the highest price Belmore bulls was knocked down to G Morgan & Co, buying through Landmark Chinchilla, Qld.
Belmore Quantum M88, a 23-month-old Roan weighing 924 kilograms and with an eye muscle area of 121 square centimetres made $13,000.
New buyers included Chris Skeer & Co, Millicent, with one bull at $6000, and NW&EE Teate, Naracoorte, one at $4000.
Guest vendors Bayview, Yorketown, sold six bulls in the ring to a top of $9000 and an average of $6166.
The stud’s top $9000 bull – Bayview Ambassador M12 – was a 25-month-old sire weighing 939kg with 113sqcm EMA.
Landmark and Elders were joint selling agents, with Elders stud stock manager Tony Wetherall auctioneering.
Mr Wetherall said the three vendors at the sale offered a good line-up, with all the stud presenting their bulls well.
“It’s good to see, when you look at a bull and then look at the estimated breeding values, that the two align,” he said.
Mr Wetherall said the sale offered good buying opportunities.
“Demand was slightly down, which meant buyers could be selective on specific animals,” he said.
“There was good top-end support, good support from studs, and good commercial support, but the sale just lacked one or two volume buyers. This was reflective of the feed situation in southern Australia at the moment.”
