One tonne Angus bull makes $30k at Sterita Park sale

In his opening remarks Nutrien auctioneer Gordon Wood described lot 8, Sterita Park T115, as a "something special" and a "bull with real grunt but also softness".

The two year old had incredible weight for age tipped the scales at 1000 kilograms just prior to Stock Journal Beef Week and prepared entirely on dryland lucerne.

T115 also had outstanding data ranking in the top one percent of the breed for calving ease and top 2pc for 400, 600 day growth and carcase weight.

After an opening bid of $20,000 the son of US sire Powerpoint which was out of a Millah Murrah Lock Up daughter drew a few more bids before being knocked down to Goolagong stud, Warnertown and Reedy Creek.

Stud principal Heath Tiller was familiar with the stud's genetics also buying Sterita Park's 2023 sale topper for $44,000. He is eagerly awaiting the calves of the Te Mania Pheasantry son.

"This time I was after a bull with a lot of meat and very good footed and a lot of power to put something different back into our stud," he said. "He is also totally different genetics."

It was not Goolagong's only buy also securing lot 5, Sterita Park T35, just minutes earlier for the sale's second highest price of $26,000.

Mr Wood and fellow auctioneer Richard Miller said they rated T35 - a son of Rennylea Prospect P550- as one of the best bulls phenotypically on offer in SA Angus Week.

"He has a real presence about him which I think is a good thing to put into my herd," Mr Tiller said.

Despite these strong stud buys, commercial breeders in the stands found it far easier to secure their picks at affordable rates.

This was due to the absence of a Mount Gambier buyer who had dominated buying for the past couple of years.

Several volume orders helped achieve a near total clearance with 97 of 100 bulls averaging $9113.

The majority of the offering were close to two years of age but late in the catalogue there were nine spring drops which averaged $7555 and topped at $11,000.

Nutrien Port Augusta's Cameron Paul put a solid floor in the market securing 13 bulls for $6000 to $7000 for several stations after good rains in the area.

Online bids came thick and fast during the sale including 12 bulls which were knocked down through Nutrien Strathalbyn to an undisclosed buyer. They paid to $22,000 and averaged $12,417 for these.

Long-time supporters, Hugh and Clare Bainger, Hillcrest Pastoral Company, Avenue Range, along with their bull advisor Libby Creek and Conkar Ridge manager Michael Keough put together 11 bulls for a $8727 average.

Even though the sale average was back a long way- more than $3500 - stud principal Nanni DiGiorgio said it was a "good result"

"It is a reflection of where the cattle job is at the moment and where it has been," he said.

"I am really happy we nearly sold the lot, 100 bulls is a lot of bulls to sell especially in a year like this."

Mr DiGiorgio was rapt in the performance of the bulls which were 50 to 80kg heavier than the 2023 drops after some big summer rain in November last year which kicked their lucerne pastures.

Mr Wood said it was the best offering of bulls he had stood over at Sterita Park.

"There is a heap of shape and a heap of muscle in these bulls and they are grassfed so they are not overfat," he said.

"The structure of the bulls is is right and the data is right too.

"The DiGiorgios are very much a commercial operation with a stud attached to that and that is what they will always be commercially focused, they do it very well as we know from the calves in that Christmas calf sale every year."

In December at the Christmas weaner sale their top pen of steers averaged 450kg and the top pen of heifers averaged 378kg at just 8-10 months of age.

Nutrien Naracoorte conducted the sale.