Amidst bulls bellowing and the auctioneer’s cry, Karoonda Bulldozer sold to $22,000 at the Karoonda Hereford stud on-property sale at Gelantipy last week.
Prospective buyers, neighbours and friends lined the hay bales around the selling ring, where the Karoonda crew were hard at work behind the scenes, with Paul Sykes, and Lauren and Lynton Hill penning up each lot for sale.
The top-price buyers were repeat clients, McRae Trading Trust, of Hawkesdale in the Western Districts, who picked up two bulls, the other Karoonda Bandsaw, at $15,000.
The McRaes said the bulls were the seventh and eighth they had purchased for their commercial herd.
“Bulldozer is by Glenwarrah Men At Work, he’s a big long stretchy bull that has everything I want,” Richard McRae said.
Testament to the stud’s focus on temperament, each bull was put through the ring on his own, with 49 bulls of 73 offered selling to a $8939 average, and five more selling after the auction finished.
Buyers could afford to be fussy, as more than a few lots failed to draw bids and were passed in but it was clear when a bull was in demand.
Bulls sold locally, across the hill around Omeo and Benambra and down to Traralgon and South Gippsland, as well as over to the Western Districts.
Lot 42, Karoonda Bonanza, sired by Yalgoo Ninja P228, was picked up by Seven Bar Dot stud principal, Jim Gunn, who attended the sale in person, beginning his return journey to Goondiwindi, Queensland, before the sale ended.
After the sale, stud principal, Paul Sykes said “Honestly, I expected the worst, I think it’s a hell of a good result”.
His daughter Lauren Hill said she was very happy with the result considering the conditions everyone was facing.
“We’re grateful for the support,” she said.
Nutrien’s South East stud stock manager, Peter Godbolt, said the Karoonda bulls were an excellent line.
“The quality is always there with carcase, fleshing and skin,” Peter said.
“The bulls go and do the job so the clients come back.”
Surrounded by family the Sykes also had their five grandchildren on hand, playing on the haybales and generally enjoying sale day, and it was easy to see the kinship of the Sykes’ family ties.
LOCAL BULL SALES WRAP
The Hodge family, Valley Vista Hereford stud, Buchan held their sale online on Friday, March 7, via AuctionsPlus.
Principal Rick Hodge said their bulls topped at $11,000 twice and averaged a bit over $7100.
Repeat buyer, Russell Foster of Omeo, bought one of the top-priced bulls, while Stanford Poll Hereford stud at Bathurst took two bulls.
“Stanford stud has 300 stud cows and 400 commercials, so it was good to get bulls in there,” Rick said.
“The bulls went into good herds.
“Using AuctionsPlus gives our clients options, that Helmsman system seems to work well.”
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On Monday, March 17, the Sykes family, headed by Peter and Deanne, Mawarra Herefords at Longford, sold 40 of 66 bulls to a top of $22,500, for Mawarra Manhattan U130 to Newcomen Herefords.
Their Hereford average was $7866, while 31 of their 37 Angus bulls sold to a top of $14,000 for Mawarra Unbelieve-A-Bull and averaged $8219.
At Newcomen Herefords, Ensay, on March 12, 34 of 50 bulls offered sold to a top of $10,500 for Newcomen Ugboot, to repeat buyers and locals, the Turner family, Turner Partnership, Bindi.
The Newcomens sold 34 of 50 bulls to an average $5808, with Barry Newcomen saying three bulls sold after the 22nd annual bull sale.
He said the clearance was actually higher than the previous year when 29 of 60 sold at auction with a few selling afterwards as well.
The Nunniong Hereford sale topped at $12,000 and averaged $6357 for 14 of 35 bulls, for Bluey Commins, at Ensay, with the top-priced bull, Nunniong Quandong PCE U133, bought by repeat buyers Phil and Kerry Geehman, Ensay.
Tambo Angus, headed by Kevin and Mandy Dean, Tambo Crossing, sold 14 of 14 Angus bulls to a top of $7500 and an average $5750, with 10 bulls heading to Glenshiel Pastoral at Butchers Ridge.
