*27 of 29 bulls sold to $12,000 (twice), av $7250
STRONG interest in the Riddellvue Angus beef program saw the stud's inaugural autumn on-property sale achieve an almost full clearance of the 29 bulls offered at Alexandra last Wednesday.
Competition from local and interstate buyers delivered the stud its best-ever top price of $12,000 twice.
The $7250 average produced nearly a $2000 gain from the stud's first on-property sale average last spring.
Riddelvue Angus stud principal Ian Bates said it was a promising sale result.
"We are really happy with how the day went," Mr Bates said.
"There was good value buying with the mix of yearling and 18-month-old bulls we put up."
The two sale-topping bulls, Lot 9, Riddellvue Quarry Q23,7 and Lot 23, Riddellvue Quixotic Q249, sold for $12,000 each.
Both bulls were snapped up by Outlook Drive Investments, Healesville.
The buyer bought a total of three 18-month-old bulls, including Lot 31, Riddellvue Quartz Q191.
Outlook Drive Investments manager Merv Steer said the operation runs a herd of 330 highly-selected breeders.
"I'm happy with the bulls we have previously bought... those bloodlines have a good name at market," Mr Steer said.
"Both top-priced bulls had different sires but presented with traits we look for - birth weight, milk and intramuscular fat.
"They caught my eye, I liked their length, hindquarters and their grain index figures also fit well with our program."
Sired by Morago Mandate M14 and out of Anvil Emblynette H269, Lot 9, Riddellvue Quarry, is an October 2019-drop bull with figures of +6.6 for eye muscle area, +3.3 birth weight, +112 for 600-day weight, and +19 for milk.
The 18-month-old Lot 23, Riddellvue Quixotic, is out of Anvil Lola N555 and sired by Merlewood Jarcevo M127, with figures of +4.7 birth weight, +14 600-day weight, and +21 for milk.
Eight yearling bulls rounded out the catalogue selling for an average of $5560.
A bull with a name to remember, Lot 13, Riddellvue Rumandcoke R16, sold to Bob Christopher, Taggerty, for $11,000 and was also the second top-priced bull of the sale.
Repeat clients and joint volume buyers took home four bulls each.
Buying early in the catalogue was local Mansfield breeder, Marshall Yencken, with four bulls, Lot 4, Riddellvue Quarterman Q157, for $7500, Lot 5, Riddellvue Quicksilver Q161, for $6500, Lot 7, Riddellvue Quaker Q156, for $6000 and Lot 8, Riddellvue Questionnaire Q168, for $5000.
A long-term buyer of Anvil bloodline bulls, Marshall Yencken said "Ian knows what he is doing".
Mr Yencken said the four bulls "had good structure, stood up well, and were good on the eye".
"I liked the look of them, and the genetics are there to back them up," he said.
Rounding out a successful sale, long-term supporter and producer, Hamish Cullenward, who made the trip from Hay, NSW, also picked up a draft of four bulls, Lot 3, Riddellvue Quadrella Q167, for $6500, Lot 21, Riddellvue Quaff Q179, for $7000, and Lot 25, Riddellvue Quuickfire Q199, for $7500.
Mr Cullenward said he was pleased with the line-up of bulls.
"We have been happy with their bulls over the years and the job they are doing for us," he said.
Mr Bates said the Riddellvue stud's aim was to ensure their clients received good value for money.
"What makes these bulls we sold today so good is that they are bred to breed good females and add depth to our client's herds," Mr Bates said.
Riddelvue stud stock consultant Willie Miline said the sale offered good buying value.
"The pedigree of the bulls, they have a lot of power in them with a good spread of EBVs, sound confirmation and good depth in the female family tree," he said.
Elders auctioneer Ross Milne said it was an excellent clearance rate.
"Buyers appreciated the direction Ian is taking the program with good value for money, and good local support," Mr Milne said.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Nutrien and interfaced on AuctionsPlus.
