*42 of 47 bulls sold to a top of $14000, av $6524
Pinora Angus stud principal John Sundermann was delighted with the results of his annual bull sale on Thursday.
The top price was a couple of thousand dollars higher than last year's and the average was up by about $1000, too.
Spooked by the tightening grip of the coronavirus on gatherings, Pinora had, for the first time, offered its bulls online as well as at the sale.
While two bulls were sold via AuctionsPlus, buyers from across Gippsland still made the trip to Heyfield.
Mr Sundermann put the pleasing result down to a rebounding confidence across the region.
"There's been better cattle prices and more rain over the last couple of months and, suddenly, people have grass," he said.
WK and C Ferguson, Longford and Omeo, were the volume buyers, taking home 10 bulls.
The top-priced bull, Lot 16 sired by Millah Murrah Kingdom, was sold to Gavin Missen, Woodside for $14000 and was the full-brother to last year's top bull.
"He had overall length and depth as well as good figures," Mr Missen said.
"The 400, 600, milk and EMA were all good and the birthweight was okay, too."
Mr Missen had been buying Pinora Angus bulls since the 1960s and said he appreciated their size, shape and easy calving characteristics.
Pinora has been breeding Angus cattle for more than 60 years and this was its 51stst bull sale.
"We were breeding black when it was the 'poor man's Hereford'," Mr Sundermann laughed.
"I don't think we do anything special but we are trying to produce bulls that people want, which means good growth, easy of birth and excellent carcase characteristics."
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