Bayview debut a dream come true

Buyers from across the country flocked to the Thompson family's inaugural on-property sale, with many others joining online to push the bull lineup to a $34,000 high.

Bayview also offered 2020-drop, Autumn and Spring 2021-mated Shorthorn heifers, four Shorthorn/Angus PTIC heifers and three ten-straw semen packages.

In the sale breakdown, 42 bulls were offered and sold to a top price of $34,000 and average of $15,143.

The 28 PTIC heifers sold reached a top of $16,000 and averaged $7250, while the semen packages averaged $1633 per ten straws.

The Thompsons purchased the Stoney Point complex and 120 hectares from Angus breeder Perry Gunner last year.

Bayview principal Chris Thompson said it not only gave them a selling outlet in cattle country, but also a place to run a few heifers and steers with the breeding herd remaining on the Yorke Peninsula.

"It has been our long-term goal to hold an on-property sale, but geographically we haven't been in the right location to be able to do that," he said.

"Now we've acquired a property and sale complex in the heart of cattle country it was an easy decision for us to make."

Mr Thompson was rapt with the result of the inaugural sale.

"It's fantastic to sit back and reflect now on how well the breed is going and how well people are following our genetic program, which is really exciting for us," he said.

"We've got some long-term supporters that come back every year to buy our genetics because they're doing very well out of them and we've got some new client coming through that are seeing what we can produce."

The Gould family - David and Karen, and their children Ellie, Tom and Henry - run about 500 cows at Greenways, near Lucindale, and were both the volume bull buyers and purchasers of the $34,000 top-priced Bayview Elusive R72.

The family were successful on nine bulls to a $19,111 average, with Henry saying they were targeting medium-framed bulls with "large amounts of beef".

The top-priced Shorthorn had a red coat, was sired by Glengyron Legacy, whose first progeny previously topped Naracoorte and Belmore sales, and out of Bayview Lightning Kate M81.

It ranked highly in 2022 January Shorthorn Group Breedplan Expected Progeny Differences for calving ease, docility and stayability and ranked the highest for intramuscular fat when bulls were scanned in November.

Other volume buyers included Ashmore Station, Kingston, which bought four bulls to $10,000, averaging $8500, while Billa Kalina Pastoral Co, via Roxby Downs, Blackmoor Pastoral, Kingston, Valleyview, through Nutrien Warrnambool, and Wirrildee Props, Kingston, all bought two apiece.

There was plenty of competition from AuctionsPlus on the heifers, with females going to stud and commercial buyers from Tas, NSW, Vic, Qld, WA and across SA.

The Spring 2020-drop Bayview First Lady R108 topped the females, making $16,000 from a buyer at Kingaroy, Qld. It had a strong pedigree, with its full brother selling for $24,000 at the Naracoorte Shorthorn sale.

Silton Park Shorthorns, Albany, WA, were strong bidders, securing four to $8000, averaging $6500, while Chester Shorthorns, Krowera, Vic, picked up two, averaging $5000.

Nutrien and Elders conducted the sale, with Nutrien the duty agent.

Auctioneer Gordon Wood said the Thompsons couldn't have dreamed of a better result for their inaugural sale.

"We had more than 50 registered buyers with 42 bulls on offer so it was a fantastic turnout," he said.

"The bulls weren't over pushed on feed, with most in their working clothes - you could take them home and put them straight out with cows if you wanted to.

"We knew there was going to be some attention around the females, with every top heifer in the sale and the buyers having the choice of taking one and the other going back to the stud.

"We knew that would attract some people and it certainly did. Up to $16,000 for Shorthorn heifers is an amazing outcome."

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