Gilmandyke Angus stud has proved it is one to watch, breaking its previous record average by $6913 at its 2022 production sale on Thursday.
Belinda Bateman and family, and the team behind the Orange-based operation, were "blown away" as over 100 registered bidders and keen spectators filled the auction barn at Kangaroobie or watched online to witness the stud's best sale yet.
Overall, it was a full clearance of 83 bulls to a stud record top price of $55,000 and stud best average of $19,675.
In the breakdown, 14 two-year-old bulls sold to a $30,000 top and average of $19,429, while 49 of the 18-month-old bulls hit a $30,000 high, three times, and averaged $17,959.
Twenty genuine 12-month-old yearling bulls reached a $28,000 top, and averaged $24,050.
In an amazing feat, five bulls equalled or surpassed the previous top price record and only four bulls sold below the previous best average.
Queensland-based buyer Hardy Woodard, Taloumbi Brangus stud, Eidsvold, Qld, once again made his mark at another Central West sale paying the top price of $55,000 for Gilmandyke Exclusive S133.
A 18-month-old son of Musgrave 316 Exclusive out of Gilmandyke Dream N314, a SAV Resource 1441 daughter, he weighed 720 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 43 centimetres.
Described as a "complete package sire", he offered a balanced data set with low birthweight, growth figures in the top 10 per cent of the breed, along with credible carcase figures also in the top 10pc for carcase weight and retail beef yield, and top 15pc for retail beef yield.
Gilmandyke general manager Wade Peatman said there had been interest in the bull since the day the catalogue was published.
"His number set is appealing to a number of people," Mr Peatman said.
Gilmandyke stud manager Peter McNamara said he is a bull that offers so much to industry.
"He has thickness, muscle depth, he is soft and he has a great female line in his pedigree," Mr McNamara said.
Mr Woodard has made headways over the recent month purchasing the top-priced bulls now at three sales including the $52,000 high-seller at Moogenilla Angus, Forbes, and the $40,000 sale-topper at Yamba Angus, Orange.
Focused on quality, he has spent $147,000 in total, $49,000 on average.
Mr Peatman said they are blown away by the support received.
"We had a lot of interest, so we hoped it would be a good a sale, but we didn't expect it to be this good," he said.
Gilmandyke's first sons of the $140,000 bull Dunoon Prime Minister P758 sold to a top of $28,000, twice, and averaged $21,500 across the eight sold.
"We are happy with the acceptance of the first offering of Prime Minister calves by commercial producers," Mr McNamara said.
"He has been a staple bull in our breeding program over the past two years, and more sons will be available next year. Next year we also look forward to offering our first sons of Lawsons Rocky R4010 and Stirling Pacific."
Also from Queensland was TD and MT Turvey, Omeo, Thallon, which operated at the front of the catalogue to purchase two bulls at the second-top price of $30,000.
This included Gilmandyke 38 Special S29 and Gilmandyke 38 Special S36, which will head north with 36 pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) Angus cows bought by the Turveys for a $4325 a head average.
LE Suttor and Son, The Rocks, Bathurst paid $30,000 for Gilmandyke Entice S166, a son of MOGCK Entice, and Wandsworth Pastoral Co, Coonabarabran paid $30,000 for Gilmandyke 38 Special R71, a son of Baldridge 38 Special.
Bell Hill Angus, Kangaroobie, purchased one of the two $28,000 equal top-priced yearlings, Gilmandyke Prime Minister S291, as well as Gilmandyke Pioneer S29 for $20,000.
Prime Minister S250 also made the top yearling price of $28,000 selling to Michael and Sarah Parfett, Newbridge.
The largest volume buyers were Stirling Pastoral, Belgravia, with nine bulls to a top of $24,000 for Gilmandyke ParatrooperS47, to average $15,556, and Filetron Pty Ltd, Caryonleigh, with eight bulls to a top of $26,000 for Gilmandyke Prime Minister S355, to average $19,500.
COMMERCIAL FEMALES
It was a full clearance of the 139 commercial pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) heifers and 48 PTIC cows, with buyers from NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory operating throughout the draft.
PTIC heifers averaged $4428 a head and topped at $4800/hd, three times, for three pens of 10 heifers, including one sold to local buyers Colemans Pastoral Co, Orange.
Bassett Cattle Company, Jenavale, Roma, Qld, bought one of the $4800 top-priced pens along with a second pen of 10 heifers for $4500/hd to average $4650/hd across its draft.
The third $4800/hd top pen of heifers sold to John Abrahams Properties which also bought a second pen at $4700/hd to average $4750/hd across the 20 purchased.
Undoolya Station, Alice Springs, NT, purchased a pen of 10 PTIC commercial heifers for $4600/hd.
Mr Peatman said the heifers were unbelievable.
"The fact heifers sold to the NT [Northern Territory] shows people out there are looking at what we are doing in both our stud and commercial operations," he said.
Lyne Holdings, Belgravia, bought two pens of 10 heifers, 22 head total, for an average of $4350/hd along with two bulls averaging $16,000.
The sale was conducted by Bowyer & Livermore, Bathurst, with Nick Fogarty taking bids from the rostrum.
MORE TO COME
