Lakeside Simmentals increased its top and average prices at its fifth annual sale last week.
Principals Lily Xu and Dong Zhu sold 17 bulls out of 34 offered for an average of $5412, which was $1607 up on last year.
Prices peaked at $10,000 for Lakeside Park P139, an AI-bred son of Rissington New Standard.
Park P139 was just 20 months of age and weighed 805 kilograms.
It had impressive Breedplan data, including figures of +0.5 for birthweight, +22 for 200-day weight, +48 for 400-day weight and +61 for 600-day weight.
With figures of 9 for milk, 1.3 for eye muscle area and 0.7 for intramuscular fat, the safe and correct bull was a great all-round package - one which the Lakeside stud had recently collected semen from for its own use.
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The successful bidder was Greg Huggins, Dandavjon stud, Mount Egerton, Vic. Mr Huggins returned again after buying at Lakeside last year, with this year's purchase appealing for its Breedplan figures, genetics, growth, low birthweight and softness.
Artimore & Partners, Tintinara, bought the second-highest price bull - lot 4, Lakeside Plattsburgh P120 - for $8500.
Plattsburgh P120 was sired by homebred sire Lakeside Lex, which had done a very good job in the Lakeside herd.
The $8500 bull weighed 842kg and had an EMA of 108 square centimetres at 20 months of age with good growth figures for 200, 400 and 600-day weights of +24, +43 and +61, respectively, and rib fat of +1, making the deep-bodied red bull with plenty of growth and softness a very appealing sire.
Allan Chaplin, Tintinara, was another return client, and this year secured three bulls to $7000, averaging $5333.
Mr Chaplin uses the Simmental bulls over Shorthorn cows to produce vealer calves sold at 10 to 11 months of age.
He said he was selecting moderate bulls with plenty of shape, muscle and fat cover, ideal for producing vealer calves.
Lakeside females attracted very strong support for the outstanding quality offered.
There were 16 pregnancy-tested in-calf heifers offered, with 11 sold to $4250, averaging $3417.
Buyers saw great opportunities in the three-in-one units of PTIC cows with calves at-foot, with 24 lots offered and sold to $6000, averaging $4604.
The top cow price came at lot 71 for Waterfront Gladdi G186, which had a top quality May 2019-drop heifer calf at-foot sired by Mt Ararat Marcus.
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Gladdi G186 was snapped up by MW&RL Nicolle, Robe, who bought three females in total, averaging $4333.
Another volume female buyer was Appleton Pastoral, Clermont, Qld, which bought six females to $5000, averaging $4583.
Appleton Grazing also bought two bulls including lot 1, Lakeside Peekskill, for $6500.
Having already secured the top price bull, Mr Huggins then added a further six females to his stud herd to $5500, for an average of $4750.
Another volume buyer of the females was Wongoola Beef, Holbrook, NSW, which bought six females to $5000, averaging $4333.
Elders auctioneer Laryn Gogel said the competition on the bulls was "disappointing with a rising cattle market".
"At the same time, I was rapt with how the females sold, with strong competition on good, sound females with calves at side," he said.
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