COMMERCIAL and stud breeders seeking bulls of genetic merit to put larger eye muscle areas and more fat cover into their herds bought well at the 58th annual Herefords Australia Dubbo National Show and Sale in NSW on Tuesday last week.
In a 50 per cent clearance, 28 of 56 Poll Hereford bulls from four states averaged $8321.
Entry numbers almost halved from 2018 levels, with many studs wary of the large drop in cow numbers across NSW due to the drought.
This saw the show and sale condensed from a two-day event into one day.
The $30,000 top price was paid for pre-sale junior champion, Grathlyn Holy Field, bred and offered by the Rayner family, Grathlyn stud, Hargraves, NSW.
The 21-month-old son of Days Elaborate J59 weighed 916 kilograms and had a huge eye muscle area scan of 140 square centimetres.
It's a really good phenotype animal with good skin and hair and huge weight for EMA ratio.
- BEN RUMBEL
It was bought by Ben and Lea Rumbel, Supple stud, Guyra, NSW in conjunction with Armada Herefords, Mudgee, NSW, with a semen share bought by the McKenzie family of Maungahina stud, New Zealand.
"It's a really good phenotype animal with good skin and hair and huge weight for EMA ratio and will make a good outcross for the Supple herd," Mr Rumbel said.
The Rayner family sold five bulls averaging $13,000.
Two of these found homes at SA studs.
Reserve junior champion Grathlyn Notorious was bought by the Steer family, Warrensville stud, Bordertown, for $12,000.
Notorious was the highest Breedplan indexing bull in the Dubbo catalogue with its supermarket index, grassfed steer index, EU index, 600-day weight and scrotal circumference all in the top 1 per cent of the breed.
The Davies family, Wrattenbullie stud, Naracoorte, secured Grathlyn Nebraska for $6000.
The sale's second-highest price of $20,000 was paid for Morganvale Naughton, offered by Allan and Heather Morgan, Keith.
The 888kg bull, which was sired by Days Fabulous K173, sold to NSW commercial herd Checkers Pastoral Company, Cargo.
Related reading: Morganvale tops at $10,500 twice
Naughton was also the EU index champion in the performance show classes held earlier in the day.
Morganvale sold three bulls averaging $10,000, with their other two bulls bought by the Wilkinson family, Yallowin, Humula, NSW, for $6000 and $4000.
Another three bulls sold soon after the sale.
Allendale Imperial wins broad ribbon
BORDERTOWN'S Allendale stud enjoyed both show and sale success at the Dubbo multi-vendor sale with its two entries both making five figures.
Judge Steve Reid, Millmerran, Qld, gave the nod for senior champion bull to Allendale Imperial N114 exhibited by Alastair and Jayne Day.
"It's very structurally correct and moves really well," Mr Reid said.
"[This is] a bull that's really going to take our breed forward."
The 884-kilogram bull, which was also the reserve champion in the EU performance class, caught the eye of Andrew and Vanessa Schwarz, Oakdowns stud, Bordertown.
They outlaid $14,000 for Imperial.
At $12,000, the reserve intermediate champion Allendale Extrovert, also came back to SA to MacLachlan Proprietors, Mount Pleasant.
The Holcombe family, Rayleigh stud, Burren Junction, NSW, exhibited the grand champion bull, Rayleigh Nullabor N069, which was also the intermediate champion.
Mr Reid liked Nullabor's thickness and movement.
"It's really strong through the topline and moves really well for a bull that's so thick," he said.
The two-year-old was a son of $70,000 record-setting sire Bowen Calibre K207 and weighed 926kg.
Rayleigh stud capped the day off with a win in the Presidents Shield for the top team of three bulls, with Grathlyn stud, Hargraves, NSW, in second and Kerlson Pines stud, Keith, in third.
Kerlson Pines sold two of its three bulls at $4000 each.
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