*35 of 40 bulls sold to $16,000, av $7200
THERE was barely a spare seat in sight at Glendan Park Hereford stud's seventh annual bull sale at its Barfold property last Friday.
And this was reflected in the sale result, with 35 of the 40 Hereford and Poll Hereford bulls offered, snapped up, to a top price of $16,000 and an average price of $7200.
This average was up $159 on last year's average, with an extra 10 bulls selling.
And the significance of this was not lost on stud principal Alvio Trovatello, who said the result was actually surprising.
"I'm very happy with the result," Mr Trovatello said.
"Given the drought and fires, I wasn't really expecting to have such a strong clearance rate.
"And to have so many repeat buyers and new buyers too, well, I can't really fault it."
He said to have buyers come back year after year, supporting his sale, was incredibly rewarding.
"It's all well and good to sell a bull here or there, but to have buyers continuously coming back, that's why we do what we do," he said.
The top-priced bull, Lot 4, Glendan Park Paydirt P078, was purchased by John Pepper, Pepper Partnership, Tahara, who's been spending big at the stud for a number of years.
Mr Pepper said he had judged Lot 4 as the best horned bull of the offering, and "it just so happened to be the top-priced bull".
He said the bull had some impressive, commercially-relevant traits, but visual assessment was paramount.
"We sell calves at the annual weaner sales in Hamilton, so visually, everything's got to be true to type; they've got to have rich colour and a softness of the coat," he said.
But he said what drew him back year after year was the consistency of the offering.
"You could go home with just about any of the bulls here," he said.
Mr Trovatello said the top-priced bull had been a stand out since he was a calf, and they had enjoyed watching him develop into a powerful bull.
"You've just got to look at his overall length and soundness and weight for age," he said.
The bull was by a Yarram Park bull, and out of a Glendan Park cow, and recorded BreedPlan figures of +47 kilograms 200-day weight, +81kg 400-day weight and +122kg 600-day weight.
It also recorded an eye muscle area of +6.5 and intramuscular fat of +0.4.
Other repeat buyers, Neville, David and Alison McClure, Mooree Partnerships, Harrow, weren't afraid to spend big.
The family purchased the three second top-priced bulls, three bulls at $15,000 each.
The sale was conducted in conjunction with Adameluca Angus, run by Mr Trovatello's brother, Sam.