Stoney Point Angus stud announces two-stage herd dispersal

Stud principal Perry Gunner says he has immensely enjoyed building a top quality herd of 800 females and growing a client base but the decision was a necessary step to his retirement.

"I have met a lot of very good people from all around the world and have enjoyed travelling with Dick Whale (Independent Breeding and Marketing Services consultant) to the United States looking at cattle," he said.

On Wednesday, March 24 about 400 (2018-drop and older) females will be offered pregnancy-tested-in-calf at the Meningie based stud's Naracoorte sale complex, including ET donor cows.

In March 2022 the plan is for the final sale to comprise the 2019, 2020 and 2021 drop females.

Stoney Point was founded in 1996 and since its merger and consolidation with the Coorong Designer Angus herd in 2014 it has made rapid genetic progress, cementing itself as one of the breed's elite herds.

In recent years Stoney Point has offered 180 bulls at three sales annually in Naracoorte and Hamilton, Vic, and these sales will continue to be held in 2021 and 2022.

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Mr Gunner said their successful breeding philosophy had been "bulls that do and stay" to add value for their clients, but this started with good females.

A board member of Angus Australia, Mr Gunner acknowledged the final sale would be a sad day but said it also represented a great chance for anyone starting an Angus stud or looking to expand, to purchase 23 years of breeding.

"Unlike a boat where the best day is the day that you sell it, dispersing a herd of magnificent females is certainly not the same," he said.

"However succession decisions need to be made and the time for that is now."

Sires used in the most recent AI matings of the sale females include Chiltern Park Moe M6, Sydgen Enhance, Lawsons Momentous M518, Storth Oaks Everest J20 and SS Niagara Z29.

Nutrien Ag Solutions and Spence Dix & Co will be joint selling agents for the dispersal sales which will be interfaced with AuctionsPlus.

Nutrien SA stud stock manager Gordon Wood said Mr Gunner's involvement in all aspects of the beef supply chain had seen him take a strong commercial focus with the stud.

"They know with the (Wanderribby) feedlot that it is one thing to have high performance cattle but you also need that good structure so they can carry that weight for long fed programs and even for short fed cattle," he said.

"It is a point that can often be forgotten in cattle breeding, having said that the Stoney Point cattle are backed with good performance figures too."