A LARGE number of potential buyers accumulated at Cooma saleyard last Thursday for a chance to buy some of the respected Sparta bloodline being dispersed by the Murdoch family.
Unfortunately, the chance to buy some of this herd was only due to the passing of owner David Murdoch in April this year.
After selling the farm, their sheep and having a clearing sale, Mr Murdoch and wife Ann moved to the coast.
Mr Murdoch's intention was to keep the herd for a while given the family's long history of the Sparta blood cattle.
However, this was not to be, with the sudden passing of Mr Murdoch in April this year.
There would be few herds that can claim a 79-year history.
Starting in 1936, and culminating in this sale, the Sparta herd has been self-replacing, which has given it some purity.
The main buyers on the day were producers that have purchased Sparta cattle for up to 20 years.
It is hard to describe how well thought of this herd is, but when some buyers could not make the sale, their competition came via the phone.
This sort of demand is rarely seen, at least not at cattle sales.
The herd presented well, especially when the mustering occurred the previous morning in minus eight degree temperatures.
The water on the dams and troughs was still frozen well into the morning. Luckily, sale day was a little warmer.
Comprising of 294 head, 45 of these were 2½ year old heifers with calves four to eight weeks at foot.
Both the heifers and their calves were very even in size, and presented very well. Selling first, these sold for $1690.
The balance of the cattle were drafted into pen lots of 3½ to 7½ year old cows that were pregnancy tested in calf (PTIC) to commence calving from August 1 on for a period of eight weeks. Buyers were given the option of purchasing one up to all of the pens in each age bracket.
Two pens of 3½ year cows were purchased for $1620 and from there on prices increased as potential buyers could see they might miss out. The next pen made $5 more with the next age groups selling to $1875, which was for the 5½ year old cows. Six unjoined 2½ year old heifers sold for $820 and two bulls sold for $4000 and $5000.
Monaro Livestock & Property principal and auctioneer Will Dixon said in his opening remarks that he had sold the top price steers of the 2011 weaner sale at $930 and in 2012 the top price pen of heifers at $855. These were both Sparta cattle.
This sale was held after the regular fat cattle sale, and part of a number of other store cattle to be auctioned. Fat cattle numbers were scarce as it is winter and snow skiing becomes the focus of Cooma. The quality was only fair to good, and prices were not all that good. Most of the steers sold from 155c to 165c/kg.
Prices for the remainder of the store cattle were fairly good with other joined cows selling to $1400.
Young cattle sold mostly from $330 to $700, and while these prices seemed quite reasonable, they would encumber a large freight price for anyone away from the local district.
