Texas, Nampara buy top Bowmont Angus bull

After an intense online bidding war, Texas Angus stud, Warialda, NSW, and Nampara Angus stud, Lucindale, SA, became the joint owners of Lot 17, Bowmont R019 Intensity T027, at Bowmont Angus stud's spring bull sale at Tatyoon.

The stud offered 51 yearling bulls and sold 46, averaging $10,043 and topping at $46,000, which was the highest price Bowmont has sold a bull for in its history.

Lot 17 had been brought forward in the catalogue and auctioned after the first couple of lots given the strong interest in him.

The July 2022-drop bull was sired by SRKR019 Bowmont Intensity R019 and out of SRKN014 Bowmont Wilcoola N014, and recorded TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation estimated breeding values of +3.4 kilograms birth weight, +66kg 200-day weight, +116kg 400-day weight, +155kg 600-day weight, +7.6 square centimetres eye muscle area and +3.3 per cent intramuscular fat.

Texas stud principals Ben and Wendy Mayne said they were looking for a bull with performance and phenotype that had the marketability and came from a strong maternal background.

"And this bull ticked all those boxes," Mr Mayne said.

Ms Mayne said they were in the midst of a "really-bad season" but that didn't stop them sourcing the best genetics possible.

"When the season turns around, it will all be worth it," she said.

"A lot of our clients are chasing bulls with a bit of flame about them and that can be quite hard to find."

She said given the drought, they hadn't had the time to travel and see the bull, but "we certainly have our spies looking around for us" and they trusted the judgement of Nampara stud principal Stuart Hann, who they bought the bull in conjunction with.

"We have very-similar breeding objectives and we really valued his appraisal of the bull," she said.

Mr Hann said the bull was "an easy calf to look at".

"When you stand and look at him, he's the complete package," he said.

"He's a framey bull with plenty of meat on him.

"He's very easy to look at and he's got the numbers to back it up."

It was the first time both studs had bought from Bowmont but Mr Hann said they'd both been "following the program for a long time".

Bowmont stud principal Sam King said he was really happy with the direction his program was going in.

Mr King said he was pleased with how the sale went "given the current climate".

"The environment's not wonderful at the moment but the beef industry is still in a very-good position," he said.

"When it turns around, it's going to turn around with a bang."

He said the top bull "was worth every dollar".

"His sire topped our sale two years ago, and his brothers in the sale sold well, too," he said.

He said it was particularly rewarding to get strong support from studs.

"We sold four bulls into seedstock operations which is a great result," he said.

Elders stud stock agent Ross Milne said the sale was solid, with a particularly-strong clearance.

"There was good stud activity, which is good endorsement for the program, he said.

"The job has seemed to get softer as we've moved through the sale season, so considering that and considering the cattle job at the moment, we are very happy with the result."

One of the other studs operating was Mandayen Limousin and Angus stud, Keith, SA, whose stud principal Damien Gommers purchased Lot 32 for $18,000.

"We were looking for a moderate-calving bull with a lot of muscle and we found him," he said.

Mr Gommers said it was the first time he had bought a bull from the stud.

"I was the losing bidder on the top bull last year so I'm very happy to get one this year," he said.