SALE SUMMARY
2021 2020
Offered 75 70
Sold 70 68
Top $36,000 $12,500
Av $10,681 $6213
COMMERCIAL buyers upped the ante with their bidding at Granite Ridge Angus stud's 14th annual bull sale last Friday, producing a nearly $4500 jump in average.
The opening sale for SA Angus Week set a high benchmark with 70 of 75 bulls offered by the Finlay family - in their second year of ownership of the stud - averaging a magical $10,681.
The Reedy Creek-based stud broke with the auction tradition of putting its sale bulls through the ring for the crowd, instead holding the first SA Angus on-property sale with a video auction.
Forty two bulls made $10,000 or more compared to just eight five figured bulls in 2020's sale, but it was lot 4, Granite Ridge Quincy Q146 which rocketed to the $36,000 top price.
This was the second highest price the stud has achieved in 14 sales, only eclipsed by Granite Ridge Kaiser K26 which sold for a state Angus record of $52,000 in 2016.
Q146 - a son of Millah Murrah Doc F159 - caught the eye of many prior to the sale but it was Greg Fisher, Clover Ridge Pastoral, Woolumbool, who dug in to buy the sale topper.
Mr Fisher has invested heavily in Granite Ridge genetics over the years paying the highest price three times in the past six years, including $20,000 in 2019.
He said Q146 was his first choice for his commercial herd after inspecting many Angus bulls during Stock Journal Beef Week, impressed by his new sire's presence as well as structural correctness and carcase merit.
When the 2019-drop bulls were weaned Quincy Q146 was 25 per cent heavier than the average of the draft and had continued to be the top performer weighing 932 kilograms a fortnight before the sale.
"Aesthetically he has been one of those bulls that stood out from a calf and it has continued through," Mr Fisher said.
"We have got some really good big framed cows so Quincy is the type of bull we need to have to moderate our herd and thicken the cows up to get the carcase right."
Q146's growth figures were in the top few percent of the Angus breed with a 200 day weight of +58, 400day wt of +110 and 600 day wt of +145.
With the outstanding returns for cattle Mr Fisher was not surprised he had been pushed to $36,000 for his pick. He believed it would be good value if the appeal and structural correctness of Q146 flowed onto its progeny.
Quincy will be his bull breeding program and would also be used in heifer AI program.
Mr Fisher's agent and the sale's auctioneer Laryn Gogel said the bull was the "all round package" for Clover Ridge's two main markets, turning off steer weaners and two-year-old PTIC heifers.
Chameleon Investments, Kingston SE, which was the underbidder on the sale topper, went to the second highest price of $24,000 on another thick Millah Murrah Doc son at lot 7.
The 882kg bull, which was a heifer's first calf, had the highest eye muscle scan data of 115 square centimetres.
Former Granite Ridge owner Colin Flanagan who sold the Finlays their stud herd in 2019 returned to secure some of his earlier breeding decisions.
He outlaid $20,000 for lot 20, Granite Ridge Quicksilver Q12 for his Prime Angus stud, Warrenbayne, Vic,
Hillcrest Pastoral Company's Hugh and Clare Bainger, business manager Libby Creek and their Conkar Plains manager Malcolm Gill underpinned the sale's success, buying more than a third of the catalogue.
Conkar Plains which targets the feeder market have been long-time supporters of Granite Ridge, but with the loss of all their bulls in last month's devastating Blackford bushfire they came with a much bigger order.
Their 27 bulls averaged $10,296 , and included five spring 2019 drops which were offered by the stud for the first time.
The 13 spring drops- which were at least four months younger than the majority of the draft- sold well, averaging $10,600.
Other volume buyers included Riverside Partnership, Drik Drik, Vic, with four bulls to $12,000, averaging $10,000 and Boonderoo Pastoral Company, Conmurra, with four bulls to $11,000, averaging $8750.
When we took the stud on we could have only dreamed of having a sale like this.
- SCOTT FINLAY
Granite Ridge stud principal Scott Finlay was "over the moon" with the result.
"When we took the stud on we could have only dreamed of having a sale like this," he said.
"We are absolutely stoked to see so many repeat buyers, some new faces and returning buyers who have not been back for a few years."
Mr Finlay said the move to a video auction would become permanent.
"We didn't really know what would be happening at the time of the sale (COVID-19 wise) so this was a way of guaranteeing that we could run the sale. It is safer for the people and less stress on the bulls," he said.
Mr Gogel said the sale was slightly stronger than he had expected.
"As a buyer you have either come here with a minimal budget because you are not quite understanding what the cattle job is doing at the moment, or you have come here well aware and quite happy to pay $10,000 to $15,000," he said.
"That is probably the norm of what we will see going forward (at other sales)."
He said the bulls had added softness and were more moderate framed than 2020's line up which had proven popular with buyers, but he also commended stud manager Jamie Kunze on ensuring the docility of the bulls had shone through.
"I think what we are seeing is people have wandered through here on the field days, realised what was here and have been prepared to come back and buy at the sale," Mr Gogel said.
Elders Kingston conducted the sale which was interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
Start the day with all the big news in agriculture. Sign up here to receive our daily Stock Journal newsletter.
