Yarram Park Hereford bull sale hits $36,000 twice

The top price was reached twice with Yarram Superior S098 and Yarram Lottery S166 sharing the title.

Lottery S166 was secured by Newcomen Hereford stud principal Barry Newcomen, Ensay.

Mr Newcomen is a repeat top-priced purchaser to the Willaura-based stud, having purchased the top-priced or near top-priced bull over the last three years.

"Lottery S166 had an impressive eye muscle area figure for a horned Hereford bull, being 7.1," he said.

"He is a pretty well-balanced bull, by a good sire, who has and is breeding well here at Yarram Park.

"He has a good scrotal, and is up there for 600-day weight, but he is just well balanced, I really like him."

Superior S098 was purchased by return clients Leon Wheeler and Donna Eichler, Wallacedale, for their Hereford operation.

"In our opinion Superior was one of the best bulls on offer by Yarram Park on sale day," Mr Wheeler said.

"We've been purchasing at Yarram Park for 11 years, and in that time I think we have purchased around 24 bulls.

"We come and inspect the bulls every [Stock & Land] Beef Week, and for this year, Lot 4 just stood out for us.

"We already have a lot of Unique and Lottery bulls and genetics in our herd, so to get a Superior is a good way to get a good outcross sire line in the herd.

"We join a predominantly Hereford herd, where we breed our own Hereford females, but we also join to the white Shorthorn bull, with the progeny of both going to the Hamilton weaner sales."

A volume buyer on the day getting six bulls was Craig Pertzel, Elders Kerr & Co Livestock, Hamilton, buying for repeat client Tim and Jen Hutton, Hutton Partners, Nigretta.

"We were just looking for the best stand-out bulls for the day, we weren't chasing any particular figures, however, we were looking for the better horn bulls," he said.

"The bulls we picked tended to have more bone, structure and growth, they were bigger carcase bulls that still had structural soundness.

"Ideally we wanted to pick bulls that are going to last the distance, and still be around in three or four years."

Yarram Park stud principal Anthony Baillieu was glad to see new and return buyers on the day inspecting an even drop of bulls on offer.

"We are very happy with the sale results, we know overall the market is down at the minute, so the day's result was very pleasing," he said.

"There was good, strong bidding right towards the end of the catalogue, where you had bulls still coming up near that top-end price.

"I think we have had more bulls have an even price this year compared to the past where we have had that really top higher end.

"The buyers are happy with their purchases and that is what keeps them coming back."

A minute silence was held at the commencement of the sale for the late Jeremy Upton, who had been with Yarram Park for over three decades.