ELITE Cattle Co has set a new stud record average at its fifth annual on-property sale on Thursday.
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A total of 46 registered bidders gathered at the Meandarra property of stud principals Glen Waldron and Kim Groner, while many more followed the sale online via Elite Livestock Auctions, to get their hands on the 44 bulls offered by Elite Cattle Co and guest vendor St Pauls Genetics, Henty, NSW.
The strong gallery of buyers from across the state and beyond ensured all 44 bulls were snapped up for a 100 per cent clearance and at an average of $17,818, which was up from the 2021 sale average of $13,160 for 25 bulls.
Helping push the sale's success was a top price of $40,000, which was achieved when the 30th bull in the catalogue, Elite Salimander was knocked down the Maguire family of Dingo.
The 15-month-old son of Elite Platinum, which topped last year's sale at $22,000, and out of Elite Wendy M124 weighed 768 kilograms, had an eye muscle area of 131 square centimetres, P8 and rib fat measurements of 11 and eight millimetres respectively and had a scrotal circumference of 36 centimetres.
Described in the sale catalogue as "a bull that will continue to get better with age" and a "super eye-catching youngster" his maternal sister was a class winner at this year's Sydney Royal Easter Show.
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First-time buyer Wayne Maguire said he was eager to try the Elite genetics after his son Jon purchased bulls at previous sales.
"I saw what Jon's weaners looked like from the bulls he'd bought here and thought they were pretty good, so I thought I'd give them a go," Mr Maguire said.
"He will go in with our Brangus cows once we get him home to hopefully put a bit of thump into our calves and he's still quite a young bull, so there is plenty of time for him to get to work.
"There wasn't anything you could really fault about the bull, I liked everything about him."
The Maguires also snapped up St Pauls Genetics top seller, when the family was the winning bid on the 27th bull in the catalogue St Pauls Revenue R417 for $30,000.
The 27-month-old son of Bonnydale Nukara R417 and out of St Pauls SB D270 Pear M418, weighed 992kg, had an EMA of 148sqcm, P8 and rib fat measurements of 12mm and 10mm respectively and a scrotal circumference of 70cm.
Both St Pauls and Elite Cattle Co retained semen from the homozygous polled, homozygous black bull that was rated in the top 10pc of the breed for birth weight, calving ease direct, scrotal size as well as 200-day and 400-day growth.
However, the distinction of being the sale's second-top price bull went to the eighth bull in the catalogue, Elite Scorcher, which was purchased by Matt Kirk, Ticoba Station, Munduberra, for $34,000.
The 14-month-old homozygous polled son of Elite Powerplay and out of Elite Flirtin for Diamonds N113 weighed 720kg, had an EMA of 124sqcm, P8 and rib fat measurements of nine and six millimetres respectively and had a scrotal circumference of 38cm.
He was also one of two bulls purchased by Ticoba during the sale with the other being the 31st bull in the catalogue St Pauls Sherman S405 for $24,000.
Other volume buyers included Bilot Plains Partnership, Injune, which purchased four bulls at an average of $19,000, M and J Slack, Meandarra, who purchased three bulls at an average of $12,333 and Ox Nine Beef, Graman, NSW, which purchased two bulls at an average of $9000.
Thursday's live-auction sale was conducted by GDL Dalby with Josh Heck, GDL, Rockhampton auctioneering.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
