*40 of 48 bulls sold to $86,000, av $10,740
THERE was a fierce bidding war at Warrenbayne between two eager buyers which caused the crowd to fall silent and resulted in a bull selling interstate for $86,000.
This occurred at Prime Angus stud's on-property bull sale on Friday - its final bull sale before the stud disperses the majority of its herd at another sale next month.
At the sale, 40 of the 48 bulls offered sold to an average of $10,740.
Lot 14, Prime Sterling Pacific T29, eventually made the top price of the sale after a few minutes of back-and-forth bidding between two prospective buyers.
The final hammer fell after an $86,000 bid over the phone by Gerald Spry, Sprys Shorthorn and Angus stud, Wagga Wagga, NSW, who was represented by his son and Ray White stock agent Matt Spry.
Matt said he and his father had come to inspect the bull during Stock & Land Beef Week earlier this year and liked his phenotype and dataset.
The February 2022-drop artificial insemination-bred bull was sired by USA19444025 Sterling Pacific 904 and out of CXBP69 Prime Shasta P69.
It recorded March 2023 TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation estimated breeding values of +3.3 kilograms birth weight, +56kg 200-day weight, +105kg 400-day weight, +128kg 600-day weight, +6.2 square centimetre eye muscle area and +3.4 per cent intramuscular fat.
"We really liked his carcase shape, overall fleshing ability and structurally-sound package," he said.
"His overall temperament and feet were really good too."
He said the bull would join another high-priced bull bought last spring - Knowla So Right S48 for $190,000 - to strengthen the stud's "sire battery".
He said both bulls would be joined to specifically-selected groups of females.
READ MORE: Prime Angus' spring 2022 sale report
Prime stud principal Colin Flanagan said the bull was like a quality racehorse.
"He was like one of those rare racehorses that just come out of the blue," he said.
"We thought he might get $40,000-$50,000 but didn't expect he'd sell for that much."
He said the bull was a result of a very successful mating, and had a "truly balanced" set of EBVs.
Mr Flanagan said the bull was structurally correct "with all the frame, thickness and maternal strength you could ask for".
He said he was winding down the stud after 40 years breeding cattle and three years running the stud, as a way to manage his workload.
He said he would still be selling a handful of bulls privately each year though, and they would still have the same quality as the ones he sold at on-property sales.
"This is probably the first lot of bulls that properly reflect our changed focus on growth for age and structure," he said.
Ray White GTSM agent James Brown said while it was a successful sale overall, buyers were selective in their purchases.
"And that provided opportunity for a lot of buyers," Mr Brown said.
He said the final bull sale was a "great wrap up" for the stud after what had been a successful few years under Mr Flanagan and partner Pat Ebert's control.
Joely Mitchell
Joely started her career at Stock & Land as a cadet journalist in 2016. She is now the editor of the paper.
Joely started her career at Stock & Land as a cadet journalist in 2016. She is now the editor of the paper.
