Angus bulls hit 2012 high of $43,000
BRETT TINDAL – 23 Mar, 2012 05:07 PM - Ireland’s Angus Sale Report – March 2012
Prices for Angus bulls hit a new high for 2012 of $43,000 at today’s Irelands Angus sale at Wagga Wagga, NSW. It follows a $37,000 top at Lawsons Angus, Yea, Victoria, last week.
Vendors Corey and Prue Ireland achieved the stud record price with Irelands Fletcher F1 – a two year-old bull by Rennylea C278 and from Te Mania Wargoona Z31.
The bull was the talk of the crowd pre-sale but exceeded many expectations on price when he was knocked down for $43,000 to Victorian stud breeders, Ron and Jane Stewart, Bassano Angus, Narrawong.
Mr Stewart said Fletcher fulfilled a long search of both Canada and Australia for a bull with the kind of frame, muscle and depth he wanted.
“It would be great if this bull had the impact on the Australian beef herd that I think he has the potential to,” he said.
Irelands sold 32 bulls in a 100 per cent clearance to average $7209.
Irelands’ $54,000 Cracker
BRETT TINDAL – 20 September, 2012 - Ireland’s Angus Sale Report – September 2012
Producing cracking young stud sires seems to be common place for Corey and Prue Ireland, Ireland Angus, Wagga Wagga, as they again recorded one of the seasonal highs fir an Angus bull sale, selling Irelands Gapsted G25 for $54,000.
This feat followed on the form the autumn sale season high an Angus bull, when Irelands Fletcher sold for $43,000.
The annual spring sale attracted a lot of interest on the run of 51 18 month-old sires, which sold to a 100 per cent clearance and averaged $6840, as 67 registered buyers – 13 of which were stud breeders – competed heavily on the bulls.
The top bull was a son of Karoo W109 Direction Z181, with pedigree and performance to boot, going back to the Wargoona female line.
Gapsted was from a sister of Fletcher which was a soft, fertile easy doing cow and had passed that easy doing type on its calf.
Gapsted was a +4.4 of birth weight, +45 to +100 of growth, +15 of milk positive for carcase with a +7 for eye muscle area and +1.9 for intramuscular fat.
It weighed 822 kg at 18 months with a 43 cm scrotal circumference.
Gapsted was bought by Jim and Jackie Wedge, Ascot Angus and Charolias stud, Warwick, Queensland, who had scoured the country looking for a new sire.
Mr. Wedge said he had looked at all the top bulls, even the $110,000 breed record breaker, and believed this bull was a much superior young sire with great overall completeness, softness and easy doing ability.
“He suited our breeding program and direction wae are looking to head, with a good balance of growth, muscle, fat and temperament,” he said.
Only two semen packages are now available in the bull as, shortly after the sale, the new Zealand semen rights were secured by Roger abd Susan Hayward, Twin Oaks Angus, Albury, NZ.
Mr. Wedge said Gapsted was the show stopper, Irelands Gippslander G127 was not to be outdone, pushing two bidders to $34,000, before being snapped up by commercial cattleman Richard Hicks, “Truro”, Cootamaundra, to run with his 120 cows.
Gippslander was a son of NZ sire Woodbank 444 from a Karoo W109 Direction female, and was derived from one of Irelands’ strongest cow families, to offer another stylish bull with great pedigree.
The bull weighed 712kg at 16 months, with a 41cm scrotal, backed with a lo birth weight at +3.3, moderate growth and positive carcase data.
Nr Hicks said he loved Gippslanders general appearance, softness, its great barrel and pedigree, and believed it was a real herd improver.
As per every spring sale, the Irelands’ put up their first bull for charity, which this year went to the Marcus Oldham Foundation to support one young enthusiast to further develop their career in agriculture.
The bull made $12,000 and sold to the Page family, Texas, Qld.
Long time return client Kilogowlah Pastoral Company, “Kilogowlah”, Tarcutta, paid $16,000 for Irelands‘ Zulu Z20 son, going back to the infamous Bushwacker sire, while Jodie and Shane Foster, Boonaroo Angus, Casterton, Victoria, paid $13,000 for another Karoo W109 Direction son, with low birth, high growth and good carcase.
It was no all buyers priced with commercial buyer snapping up 44 of the 51 bulls between $3000 and $7000.
Nick Cocroft, “Highbank”, Young, led the charge buying five top end bulls to average $5500, saying the bulls was functional, easy doing bulls that never broke down.
“The year before the first Irelands on-property sale we won the certified Australian Angus Beef marbling award and have never look at figures to buy bulls; they must look good for me to buy them and we still get the marbling in every bull,” he said.
James Liburne, Topstock Australia, Wagga Wagga, had a handy order from Qld client buying 15 bulls for $3867 a piece, while N.W. Moore, “Goonoo”, Yeoval, landed for at $5250 and the Hurley family, Fargo, Vic, average three at $6000.
Mirradong Pastoral Company, Tumut, rounded out the sale buying four at $3125, while Tom Park, “Gooramadda”, Acheron, Vic, paid $7000 and $7500 for two top commercial bulls.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Landmark with Kevin Norris an Ross Milne as the auctioneer.