Boonaroo breaks $15,000 top

The sale received 100pc clearance of the 64 bulls offered and recorded a rise of $1174 on last year's average with few lots dipping below $5000.

The 2015 top price was paid by Anvil Angus, Acheron for Boonaroo Jolimont J141, son of Anvil Forever F029 and out of Boonaroo Maria.

The 17month-old bull weighed 726kilograms and had estimated breeding values of +5.6 for birth weight (BW), +49 for 200-day weight, +95 for 400-day weight, +120 for 600-day weight, +6 for eye muscle area (EMA) +1.5 for intramuscular fat (IMF).

Boonaroo Angus co-principal Shane Foster said Jolimont had enormous amount of red meat, with great width through his back end.

"He carries New Zealand blood on both his grand-sire (Te Mania Infinity) and dam (Pinebank Waigroup) side, with this bloodline combination helping longevity and structural integrity to his pedigree," Mr Foster said.

His sire, Anvil Forever F029 had 11 sons offered and sold to av $6250.

For the second year in a row, Carl and Debra Kunze, on behalf of the Ogilvie Group, Wyomi, SA were the volume buyers, selecting 10 easy calving bulls that av $5950.

As part of the Ogilvie consignment was Lot 3, Boonaroo Jerry J74, son of Millah Murrah Equator D78 and out of Galway Sally A22, which was knocked down as the second highest priced bull sold at $9000.

The 18mont-old 758kg bull had EBVS of +6.5 BW, +54 200-day weight, +99 400-day weight, +132 600-day weight, +1.1 EMA +0.3 IMF.

The Kunze family were chasing low birth weight bulls to put over the herd's heifers for easy calving.

An astonishing 12 Garvoc G36 sons from heifer dams were offered at auction, selling to $6500, av $5250.

In his opening remarks, Mr Foster said it was an exciting time to be in the vibrant cattle industry and forecast strong beef prices for the coming years. "It is nice to see genuine confidence in the beef job that looks to be long-term so people are looking and excited about what's ahead," he said.