Top-priced Pathfinder bull sizzles to well-known NSW buyer

The bull, Lot 67, Pathfinder Beast Mode T314, was bought over the phone by Texas Angus, Warialda, NSW for $24,000 after a burst of competitive bidding.

The March 2022-drop bull weighed 980 kilograms and was sired by Baldridge Beast Mode B074 and out of Strathewen Regent Mittagong J23.

The sale topper recorded TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation figures of 6.9 square centrimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of 5.3kg, 200-day weight of 74kg, 400-day weight of 123kg and 600-day weight of 161kg.

Stud principal Nick Moyle said the bull had stood out since he was a calf and he had expected him to perform at the sale.

"He's been out of a well known donor that has been used widely and he's by Beast Mode," he said.

"Beast Mode has got great maternal strength in the background.

"He's rock solid on his feet and temperament and has moderate birth with massive growth."

Of the 117 bulls offered, 106 were sold, to an average price of $8750.

The sale compares to a total clearance of 114 bulls in 2023 where the top-priced bull sold for $31,000 and the average was $14,324.

All bulls offered for sale on Friday had been run on a strictly grass-only diet, something Mr Moyle said will give them greater longevity.

"It's the first time we've done it and we believe it's going to be fantastic for the customers," he said.

"They should get another year out of our bulls compared to elsewhere.

"Most people grain finish them but this year we haven't done that.

"We've just gone for entirely grass which knocks a bit of weight off them but adds a lot of longevity and value for the clients."

Mr Moyle said as many as 95 per cent of this year's bulls went to repeat customers.

One such repeat buyer, Robert Gordon, Condah, bought the second highest priced bull, Lot 24, for $18,000.

The bull, Pathfinder New Ground, was sired by G.A.R Phoenix and out of Pathfinder General R411.

The March-2022 drop bull had TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation figures of 12.2 square centrimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of 5kg, 200-day weight of 76kg, 400-day weight of 134kg and 600-day weight of 173kg.

Mr Gordon said it was "rare" to find a bull with such a "spread of growth and muscle".

"It's rare to find a bull with such a high growth rate and still high indexing muscle," he said.

"That was quite impressive.

"You look at the figures first and then we need structure and soundness.

"We got a bit of depth and length in this bull as well."

The Condah beef farmer said his new bull will be put with a mob of older cows in May.

Overall, he said he kept coming back for Pathfinder bulls because of their "good genetic trends and high muscle".

Mr Moyle said Friday's stud sale saw buying at all levels.

"We've got a very strong repeat customer business and they showed that today," he said.

"We are a strong family business and we back our product.

"We sell around 500 bulls a year and it's our passion to breed a very good one.

"We want these bulls to be as profitable an animal as they can be for our customers."

The stud principal said cattle markets did impact this year's bull prices.

"You'd have to expect that," he said.

"The cattle market struggled through 2023 and we saw that today, reflected in the prices."

Nutrien Ag Solutions southern studstock manager Peter Godbolt agreed.

"The cattle market has obviously been down for a long period," he said.

"We've just a little bit of dry season conditions around the state and all around the country really.

"So, [buyers] sort of had pulled their budget back a little bit from last year."

However, Mr Godbolt said the lineup of cattle at Pathfinder was "outstanding".

"The bulls still had the general performance, power and carcase that they're known for here, along with the fertility and temperament," he said.

"There was a lot of local support and the bulls went to NSW and SA as well."

Chris and Karyn Jarrad, Sandford, bought two bulls at the sale, Lot 23 for $10,000 and Lot 123 for $6000.

Ms Jarrad said the couple was very happy with both animals.

"Every year we buy from Pathfinder, we find the EMAs really good from them," she said.

"They're good sized bulls for the money, value for money.

"We go by the figures but you have to match it with how they look then as well."

The Jarrads will run both bulls to small groups of Angus first calvers, from May.