IT WAS sunny skies on the back of rainy days in Clermont last Thursday and buyers came out in force for the Burenda Angus and Brangus sale.
With a top price of $14,500 and 64 of 69 bulls offered sold for an average of $6023 plus a clearance of 94 per cent, stud principals Alec and Mary Peden were thrilled with the results.
Top priced bull was Lot 49, Burenda Specialist L920, a polled Brangus bull who sold to Bernard and Cynthia Anderson, Narrien, Clermont.
Specialist, a 25-month-old bull, weighed 906kg and boasted a scrotal circumference of 46cm plus an EMA of 126cm sq.
Mr and Mrs Anderson went home with four bulls including Specialist to gross $40,000 for an average of $10,000.
The second top priced bull of the sale was also a Brangus bull with Lot 61, Burenda John L985, selling for $14,000 to CPC, Newcastle Waters via Auctions Plus.
Buying up in the Angus cattle were Hazelton Pastoral, the Kirk family, Blackwood, Middlemount who went home with four new black bulls for an average of $7125.
Mr Anderson said he purchased from Burenda because of the strong data collection and science they include in their catalogues.
He said Specialist was one of his picks because of his fat cover.
“Well he’ll inject good fat cover for our beef operation where we grass fatten for the EU and PCAS market,” he said.
“The stud supplies heaps of basic figures so we can buy with a bit of information behind us and confidence, which is what I like about it!
“We confidently use these over our maiden Braford heifers for their first calf.”
After travelling to the stud’s home at Dalby earlier in the year for the open day, Mr Anderson said he had picked out the bulls he wanted and went home with them on the sale day.
“We put a fair bit of time into checking our bulls and inspecting them,” he said.
“We probably thought we might have picked him up a bit cheaper, but we’re pretty happy with his fat cover and we think his progeny will fatten on the grass even when the seasons are against us a bit – we’re quite happy with his figures.”
Mr Anderson said in the recent rainfall they received 68mm at the house west of Clermont, which he called “a damn good start”.
“It was absolutely amazing, there was probably eight storms to get that in a 12 hour period,” he said.
The Andersons run a breeding and fattening operation over two properties with 2300 breeders and 40,468 hectares (100,000 acres).
Mr Schmidt said he was very happy with how the sale went.
“Considering the circumstances with it being pretty dry and only a few summer storms going around, we are pretty pleased with the sale and the average of just over $6000 and top of $14,500,” he said.
“Overall we’re happy with the whole sale – considering the circumstances it could have been a lot worse.”
He said it was good to see a mix of new and repeat buyers plus added it was great to see Specialist head home with the Anderson family, who were also the top priced buyers at the Burenda Angus and Brangus sale last year.
He said Specialist had always been a standout calf with great breed attributes.
The sale had plenty of competition, especially with online buyers who snapped up a combined 14 bulls from the sale.
The online buyers were from as far away as New South Wales.
Selling agents: H&W Livestock.