Barry Newcomen buys Valma Hereford's two top bulls at sale

Newcomen Herefords stud co-principal and top buyer Barry Newcomen, Ensay, said he visited Tasmania three weeks ago to view the bulls at the Valma and Nova Poll Hereford bull sale in Whitemore, Tas.

He said he was most impressed by Lot 7 and Lot 11, which he successfully bought online during the sale.

"One impressed me in particular, I had no idea what they were going to make but $16,500 was a cheap bull to buy in my opinion," he said.

"The dear bull, Lot 7, he's a complete bull, he's a well-shaped bull and he's quiet.

"He goes up to 600-day figure of 91 [kilograms] so he's a good bull to look at.

"The other bull, Lot 11, was outstanding in his hindquarter, he's got more growth pattern.

"They're both very quiet and Lot 11 had very good hindquarters which is not always that easy to find in the polled breed but this one's got it."

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The two bulls were sired by Yawara South Paradise P112.

Lot 7 was out of Valma Landslide's Corisande and Lot 11 was out of Valma Landslides Moonbeam.

The top-priced bull Lot 7, Valma Savage's 2023 Hereford Breedplan estimated breeding values included +4.0kg birth weight, +35kg 200-day weight, +69kg 400-day weight, +91kg 600-day weight, as well as +2.4 centimetres scrotal size, +6.4 square centimetres eye muscle area and +1.4 per cent intramuscular fat.

Valma Poll Hereford stud principal Andrew McLauchlan said he was rapt with the result and the spread of bulls that were on offer.

He said buyers were complimentary about the stud's muscle pattern, definition, and their temperament, which were important stud goals.

"It was a really good result, [our] first sale for probably about 10 years and getting back into the swing of things," he said.

"We were really pleased with the top price - it was one of those things I suppose where you think you've got handy bulls but it's up to the people to decide whether you have or not.

"To me [the top-priced bull] was quite a complete bull, he was quite a balanced bull with tremendous feet and structure and I think with him he's a bull that's a bit of an outcross as well.

"Figures are important but we want the cattle to be right; some real definition of muscle in that hindquarter, I love to see stock with a good hindquarter and shape about them."

Webb & Woodiwiss director Mark Webb said it was a strong sale with four bulls going to Victoria and one to NSW, while the remainder stayed locally in Tasmania with mostly return buyers.

"[Lot 7] was a really well put together bull, he had a really good set of figures, he was a Paradise calf," he said.

"The quality was very good, the cattle had exceptional temperament."

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