When Texas Angus stud principal Ben Mayne suggested to an assembled throng of eager buyers last Thursday that the beef bubble was far from bursting, he and his family never expected such a remarkable result.
Celebrating 50 years of sales the Warialda stud struck a record note with a $56,000 bid for Lot 27 Texas Earnan L612 by Connealy Earnan 076E from Texas Undine H638(AI)(ET) with Chris Knox and Helen Alexander, DSK Angus, Coonabarabran, the winning bidders. The 23 month old weighed in at 1012kgs with a daily weight gain of 1.47kgs/day, scrotal circumference of 45cm and estimated breeding values (EBVs) of +63, +108, +146 for 200, 400, 600 day weight and +2.3 for marbling.
In total the 127 bulls sold, a 100 per cent clearance, grossing $1.592 million to average $12,535. In the breakdown 80 per cent went to repeat buyers, 46 per cent to Queensland, 43 per cent to NSW, 9 per cent to the Territory and the rest to WA and South Australia.
Lot 29 Texas Mt Kaputar M100 by KC Haas GPS and son of Texas Undine Z183(AI) and full brother to Texas Mount K002 sold for $44,000 to a three-way partnership of repeat buyers with Owen Pedlow of Highland Court Angus stud, Glen Innes, Shane Adams and Vince Larkin of East West Angus, Bingara and Murwillumbah, and commercial bull breeder Neville Duddy, Glen Innes. The 17 month old weighed 782kgs with 1.42kg/day weight gain with a balanced set of EBVs +3.9 Calving Ease Direct, +4.2 birth weight to +131 600 day weight with +2.4 for marbling.
This full embryo transfer brother of Texas Mount K2 shows the same trait leading qualities, said Mr Mayne pointing out that with 500 progeny of ‘K2’ on the ground, his data just gets better, a trait leader for seven different traits including low birth weight and hitting the top one percent of all indexes.
East West Angus went on to buy Lot 4 Texas Legacy L177, weighing 982kgs and Lot 12 Texas Louis Vuitton L618 weighing 976kgs for $24,000 and $23,000.
The stud interest continued with Monteray Angus, Bunbury, WA bought Lot 49 Texas Hat Trick L197 by Texas Western Express H639 for $22,000. Bandaroo Angus, Kelvin, NSW secured Lot 43 Texas Guaranteed L283(AI) for $28,000 and Nampara Angus, Mt Gambier, SA, bought Lot 5 Texas Tour of Duty L608 by RB Tour Of Duty 177 yet another son of Texas Undine Z183(AI) for $18,000.
Volume buyers competed for the title, with Paul Smith, Tieyon Pastoral Company, Alice Springs, NT, a long term Texas client buying nine bulls over the phone, through GDL Dalby, paying up to $24,000 for Lot 51 Texas Reality L227 by Matauri Reality 839 NZE.
Banana Station’s QLD Mike and Belinda Wilson returned to Texas Angus to buy nine heifer bulls to service some of their 4000 Brahman cross breeding cows paying up to $17,000 for the last lot of the day, Texas Vice Admiral L397 by Texas Vice Admiral E379. The Wilsons used Texas Angus previously and recorded success with low birth weight and surprisingly much larger weight gains than expected.
Reardon Operations, Goondiwindi, QLD bought eight bulls for the first time as they ramp up their Angus program to complement a mixed farming operation, paying up to $12,000 for Lot 11 Texas Reserve L642 by VAR Reserve 1111.
Marengo Station manager, Mick Kelso, with Ray White agent, Tim Bayliss, Dorrigo, bought four bulls to complement new country at Armidale, including Lot 8 Texas Reserve L638 for $12,000.
Commercial breeders Terry and Pete Hanigan of Coooamble NSW bought Lot 94 Texas Hat Trick L240 for $31,000 a 982kg son of Texas Western Express H639 and Cadelga Cattle Co Inglewood QLD won the battle for Lot 40 Texas Tour of Duty L282(AI) paying $31,000 who tipped the scales at 962kgs.
Repeat Queensland clients Wes and Sue Presho, “Utopia Downs”, Taroom, QLD bought four bulls including Lot 55 Texas Mountain Man M010 for $16,000 – first son of Texas Mount K002 born and sold in Australia. While Saxby Bros, Bald Mountain, Wallangara QLD took 2 bulls home both by Te Mania 09 450 averaging $14,500 and Tigrigie Cattle Company, Taroom QLD secured 4 bulls to a top of $15,000.
Certain sire lines certainly made an impact on the sale with KC Haas GPS producing 16 sons selling to an average of $15,800 including second highest bid for Texas Mt Kaputar M100.
US sire Ellingson Guaranteed 0023 produced five sons for an average of $16,400. Home bred sire Texas Western Express H639 produced six sons that sold to an average of $15,000. Connealy Earnan sired 15 sons averaging $12,500 including top priced Texas Earnan L612.
“We were particularly pleased that our homebred bulls averaged as much as the AI sires. Buyers were definitely looking for real performance with softness, length, carcase and being able to survive and thrive in all environments” said Mr Mayne. He also praised the stud’s female line for their consistency, particularly noting the demand for our top cow genetics, Texas Undine Z183 whose sons have sold to every state in Australia and grossing well over $600,000.