Granite Ridge sets impressive $7130 av for SA Angus Week

Lot 25, Granite Ridge Nighthood N61, was the headline act making $20,000.

There was plenty of pre-sale stud interest in the outstanding March 2017 drop, but it was large commercial producer Greg Fisher, Clover Ridge, Marcollat, who put in the winning bid with his agent Elders southern zone livestock manager Laryn Gogel 

The 924 kilogram, which was out of one of the stud’s top cow families, will be used in Clover Ridge’s bull breeding program.

Mr Gogel said they had visited many Angus studs during Stock Journal Beef Week and Nighthood N61 stood out for his “natural thickness, depth and softness” and balance of Breedplan figures.

The bull was in the top eight per cent of the breed for all Angus$ indexes as well as top 1pc for 200 day and 600 day growth.

“He has got outstanding figures, he is is extremely correct and for the campaign that Greg has been on for the last few years he has got some females with a fair bit of frame, so this bull will just compliment what he has done with the frame,” Mr Gogel said.

Clover Ridge has invested heavily at Granite Ridge over the years, including the 2017 sale topper.

Overall, 69 of 78 bulls offered by Colin Flanagan and Pat Ebert sold for a $7130 average.

This was back more than $600 on the 2018 sale but was to be expected with the season.

Bids flew for the early lots with 10 bulls making $10,000 or more, but there was plenty of great value in the second half of the catalogue for the 46 registered bidders from three states.

Thirty four bulls sold between $4000 and $6000.

Two large volume orders from long-time clients dominated Granite Ridge’s sale, ensuring the second sale for SA Angus Week was a great success.

Kangaroo Island cattleman Peter Murray, Kiwi Blue, Kingscote, led the charge with 13 bulls for a $8731 average.

Five of these were over $10,000 including Lot 31, an eye-appealing son of Millah Murrah Doc F159, which fetched the $18,000 second highest price of the sale.

The five Doc sons in the sale averaged an impressive $10,400.

The Bainger family and their advisor Libby Creek, Hillcrest Pastoral Company, Avenue Range, were also in many of the bidding duels putting together 12 bulls for a $5625 average for their Conkar Plains property.

Other prominent buyers included JG&CK Clarke, Kingston, with three bulls for a $8667 average.

This included Lot 2, the heaviest bull in the catalogue at 1026kg. 

Trott & Warner, Kingston, paid $12,000 and $10,000 for two Rennylea K447 sons at Lot 11 and Lot 38.

“Being so dry everywhere we always thought getting rid of so many bulls could be a challenge but there were only nine passed in and another four went after the sale, so we are very happy,” Mr Flanagan said.

He said the result of hundreds of Granite Ridge-sired steers put through Montrose feedlot, NSW, over the past three years was giving them confidence they were on the right track chasing weight for age and carcase quality.

“You can turn off a good weaner (with Granite Ridge progeny) but they also keep growing to produce 1050 kilogram to 1100 kg steers for the export market,” he said.

Earlier this year 100 of these heavy steers dressed out at an impressive 64 per cent.

NSW-based auctioneer Lincoln McKinlay from Glasser Total Sales Management, Wagga Wagga, described it as a “very strong sale” and said the stud was rewarded for one of the highest performing, structurally sound run of bulls for the season.

“It is always good to work with good people and good cattle,” he said.

Southern Australian Livestock was the settling agent.