*27 of 30 bulls sold to $8500, av $5240
A BULL described as having "a power of red meat" has topped the annual Southern Breeders Group Charolais Sale at Yea.
Airlie Par Excellence, from the Airlie Charolais stud, Glenquarry, NSW, was knocked down to Kyneton buyers, Keith and Kathy Hendry.
"We class him as a good vealer bull, we've been using Airlie bulls for quite a while and we get good results out of them," Mr Hendry said.
"Everybody agreed he was the pick of the bulls in the yard."
Mr Hendry said they ran terminal sires to sell stock into the vealer market.
The March 2018-drop bull was sired by Airlie Lancelot L13E and out of Airlie Denise K83E.
He recorded figures of a birth weight of +0.8 kilograms, a 200-day weight of +7kg, 400-day weight +19kg and 600-day weight of +26kg.
He had estimated breeding values of a 2.1 square centimetres eye muscle area (EMA), a rib measurement of +0.2mm, a rump measurement of +0.0mm and an intramuscular fat of +0.1 per cent.
Airlie Charolais stud manager Michael Bond said Par Excellence was one of two autumn-drop calves that had been picked out early on.
"He's just a good, easy fleshing bull, with lots of softness and a lot of growth," Mr Bond said.
Par Excellence, a polled bull, had always shown great weight for age, having been weaned early and going through a tight season.
"He has a power of red meat on good feet and legs," Mr Bond said.
"It's always a case of mating the right sire line to the right maternal lines.
"Breeding to a type is number one for us."
The Charolais was renowned for putting weight into calves.
"We have our fat cover right, and the type of bull that suits that vealer style market," he said.
The Hendrys had been good supporters of Airlie.