THE pre-sale hype surrounding the Merridale Angus bull sale last Friday, flowed through to the sale ring at Tennyson, where bulls sold to a top of $15,000, and averaged an impressive $6266.
The Collins family sold 31 of 32 bulls offered, including five Sitz New Design sons, which av $12,700.
The $15,000 sale topping bull - Merridale Gaffa G4 - was purchased over-the-phone by Dunoon Cattle Company, Holbrook, NSW.
Gaffa is a 458N son out of Vermont Dream E096, with moderate birthweights and EBVs in the top 1 per cent for 400 and 600 day growth of 101kg and 131kg respectively.
Purchaser Jock Harbison had inspected the bull earlier in the week and was suitably impressed with Gaff's structural soundness, thickness presence and temperament, making him an excellent stud sire prospect.
Having established a stud in recent years based on Merridale bloodlines, Ricky Jenkyn, Fox River Angus, Axedale, was keen to secure new paternal bloodlines for his stud and did so in purchasing Merridale Gus G110 for the equal second highest price of $14,000.
With maternal breeding featuring the famed Wilcoola bloodlines and by 458N, the quality young sired matched excellent phenotype with a great balance of figures.
Long-time Merridale clients Buchan Station, Buchan, purchased the other $14,000 bull at the sale - the full brother of the sale topping bull.
Merridale Gem G80 again matched phenotype with excellent figures featuring 200, 400 and 600-day growth figures in the top 1pc of the breed and an EMA of 4.5 and IMF of 2.
Buchan Station also bought a Merridale Entrevoir E50 son at $3000.
Once again supporting the Merridale was the North East Victorian contingent purchasing through Costello Rural, Corryong.
The buyers included Ross Jarvis, Cudgewa, who purchased Merridale Gerrard G5 - another 458N son for $13,000.
G&V Redding, Chancoban, was chasing Stockman genetics and did so in Merridale Galvin G13 at $8500. The bull had Stockman genetics on both the paternal and maternal sides.
Max Grigg, of Corryong, purchased two bulls including Merridale Garry G1 at $7000 and Merridale Goonta G40 for $3500, while Graham Costello also purchased two spring-drop bulls av $3250. Both bulls showed great growth and high EMAs. All four buyers were repeat buyers at Merridale.
Looking for bulls to join to Hereford females, first-time buyers Yera Estate, Leslie Manor, took home two, paying $8000 for Merridale Galen G9 - a Chisum son with excellent type, length and smoothness, coupled with high growth and positive fat - and Merridale Gale G8 at $7500 - a full brother to G110, by 458N to be used over heifers.
The female offering topped at $5500 twice.
IA&MJ Bridgwater, Dimboola, purchased Merridale Wilcoola A15 with a Carrington Park Final heifer calf at-foot, while Dean Mitchell, Abadean, Lockington, paid $5500 for Merridale Maid A69 with an Innesdale Carbine heifer at-foot.
Volume female buyers was Paul Handley, Eaglewood Park, Ruffy, who took home five young cows with calves at-foot av $4400 to join their commercial Angus herd, while Wilgunyah Pastoral, Gerangamete, purchased four PTIC heifers av $2500.
The Collins family were ecstatic with the result of the sale, considering the current climate and recent sale results.
