Guilford Poll Hereford's top bulls did the business at the Tasmanian stud's 50th annual bull sale outside Ouse on Friday.
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A mix of local and mainland buyers stepped up for the stud's offering of quality cattle.
The top-priced bull, Lot 11, Guilford Telegram T070, sold to Jamie and Rebecca Woolley, Bermuda Hills, Glen Huon, Tasmania, for $14,000.
The May 2022-drop bull was sired by Bowen Qwade Q064 and out of Guilford Satin P38.
The sale topper recorded Hereford Group Breedplan EBV figures of +4.7 square centimetres eye muscle area (EMA), birth weight of +7.1kg, 200-day weight of +48kg, 400-day weight of +74kg and 600-day weight of +112kg.
Mr Woolley said his new bull was a "nice fleshy, deep-bodied calf" with "beautiful, quiet temperament".
"I just loved the style of the bull," he said.
Mr Woolley said it was the look of the bull in the pen, rather than his figures, that encouraged him to make the purchase.
"I concentrate on what the bull looks like more than the figures at the end of the day," he said.
He said he had been buying Guilford bulls for 20 years.
"They've just always done a great job for our cattle," he said.
"They suit what we're trying to grow, big cattle, big steers to fatten.
"If they come off this tough country out here looking good, they're going to thrive down in our country."
Mr Woolley said the bull will be joined with a mob of mature spring-calving Hereford cows in October.
All calves would be brought on and fattened before they were two years old.
Stud principal Philip Davie said the top-priced bull was "long, thick and deep-bodied" with "an excellent set of EBVs".
He highlighted that the bull was in the top 5 per cent of the breed for 200 and 600-day weights and the top 5pc for EMA.
Mr Davie said before the sale, the sale-topper stood out as a bull with "stud sire potential".
Friday's sale saw 26 bulls sold from the 44 offered to the top of $14,000 and an average of $5769.
This compared to the stud's 2023 sale where 29 bulls were sold from the 42 offered to a top of $22,000 and an average of $7517.
Overall, Mr Davie said he was "quite happy" with the sale result, given Tasmania's recent dry conditions.
"We've cleared a few bulls and it would have been nice to sell a few more," he said.
"We've sold to some new buyers which is always pleasing, to pick up some new ones.
"Perhaps, considering conditions, it was quite ok."
Mr Davie said the Guilford bulls were bred to perform.
"We're pretty sure they'll perform wherever they end up," he said.
Nutrien Tasmania studstock manager Jock Gibson said the bulls went to the mainland and locally but there were fewer buyers from King Island.
"Obviously, we would've liked to sell a few more than what we have," he said.
"But generally, considering the year and the way things are, we've sort of got out alright."
He said there were a couple of bulls going to the mainland and about half a dozen going to King Island.
"We probably would normally sell a few more to the island than we did this year," he said.
Mr Gibson said it was "mainly the regular buyers" who stepped up at the sale.
He said the Guilford bulls were known for their "good, big frame" and they were reared in "hard country"
