2022 Sale Season – CHA-CHING!
Another year of smashing past records and rewriting new ones for the Angus breed has been the forefront of most media publications again this year, sharing the headlines of rainfall that will bog your tractor and lettuce priced at $10.
With the numbers climbing it was predicted to be another good year for the Angus market and it surely did not disappoint. And for those who mind a good statistic either, below is a brief summary of the by year stats for Angus bulls sold at suction. If you’d like to see the full bull sale statistics you can see them here.
Queensland
Total Sales: 15
Bulls Sold: 1,110
Top Price: $75,000
Top Bull: Ascot Rockafella R368 PV– QQFR368
Top Average: $24,507 – Ascot Angus
Overall Average: $16,445
Queensland studs were definitely putting the best of the best out this year and it shows in the states results. Compared to 2020, the sale numbers are down but boy oh boy with a top price and a top average like the above no wonder there was overall average increase of 34%!
A state top price of $75,000 and an average of $24,507 – that’s right, you don’t need to go to Specsavers, you read it right.
Clearing 67 bulls, there was high demand for Ascot Angus bulls, and the bull that gained plenty of interest was Ascot Rockafella R368PV (QQFR368). Going under the hammer for $75,000, Harvey, Jason and Denise Black, Mt Eniskillen, Tambo, QLD, secured the popular sire. Ascot’s average was up by 10% compared to last years average of $22,373, and their $24,507 average placed them in the top 10 averages for 2022 as the sixth highest average this year.
Another stud record average was made in early August, when JK Cattle Co. set their own record of $20,206 for 39 Angus bulls sold, Thus, making the JK Cattle Co. sale average the second highest for Queensland in 2022.
Tasmania
Total Sales: 12
Bulls Sold: 770
Top Price: $47,000
Top Bull: Cluden Newry R214 SV – THCR214
Top Average: $15,486 – Landfall Angus
Overall Average: $12,436
I know I keep saying this, but it’s definitely another year of high averages, and Tasmania is yet again proving that the bulls down south can get those punchy numbers.
Cluden Newry Angus has certainly put Tassie back on the “buy bulls here” map, securing top priced bull for the state. Cluden Newry R214SV (THCR214) sold under the hammer for $47,000, selling to Jodie Foster of Boonaroo Angus. Being their autumn bull sale, Cluden Newry’s average for their 76 Sire Assured bulls sold was at $11,187.
Keeping the fellow Tasmanians on their toes with a cracking sale average was none other than Landfall Angus at their spring bull sale. Producing the goods once again, it was a perfect sale result to round off the year. Securing the highest average and the second highest average for TAS, the results were in and looked very favourable for 2022. Their spring bull sale saw 241 Sire Assured bulls sell to an average of $15,486 (Landfall’s highest average to date) and their autumn bull sale trucking 210 bulls to an average of $13,933.
Western Australia
Total Sales: 25
Bulls Sold: 1,023
Top Price: $72,000
Top Bull: Coonamble Frontman R501 PV – WDCR501
Top Average: $15,316 – Mordallup Angus
Overall Average: $11,729
They say west is best, and that’s what seems to be coming out of WA at the moment. Bulls that are ticking all the right boxes, and an increase in the overall average of a whopping 29% from last year’s overall average of $9,067.
Emerging from Boyanup with a benchmark average of $15,316 was Mordallup Angus. Topping the average for the state with 77 bulls sold and topping their April sale twice with a top price of $32,000, Mordallup’s average was up 105% compared to last year’s average of $7,446.
Claiming second highest average and top priced bull with a ‘breaking record’ sale once again was Coonamble Angus. With 133 Sire Assured bulls selling to generate a sale average of $14,397, top priced bull Coonamble Frontman R501PV (WDCR501) sold for $72,000 and took home top dog honors beating the previous record of $32,000, making R501 was the highest priced bull sold this year in WA. Return buyers making this exciting purchase was the Bairstow family, Arizona Farms, Lake Grace.
Victoria
Total Sales: 38
Bulls Sold: 2,140
Top Price: $130,000
Top Bull: Te Mania Reaves R574 SV – VTMR574
Top Average: $20,752 – Banquet Angus
Overall Average: $13,366
Outstanding results coming out of Victoria this year across the board, with the number of sales up, number of bulls sold up, top price up and averages up! Things couldn’t be better for the studs when sales are reaching overall averages of $13,366 – that’s an increase of 31%! It’s no wonder bulls like Te Mania Reaves R574SV (VTMR574) are topping a price of $130,000.
Sold at Te Mania Angus’s Autumn bull sale in March, Te Mania Reaves R574SV was snavelled up by Boonaroo Angus. Delighted with her purchase, Jodie Foster, Principal of Boonaroo Angus said, “The most complete bull in the sale. Weight for age, muscling, body depth, really good structure and a combination of muscle, fat cover and marbling – just very much the complete bull, he covered every base and we couldn’t be happier to have a bull like this come into our program – we’re rapt”.
Earlier in the sale proved to be fruitful for Te Mania Angus, selling Lot 3 Te Mania Rhynie R1095PV (VMTR1095) for a record price of $120,000 before being succeeded by Reaves R574. Purchased in a syndicate consisting of Rennylea Angus, Landfall Angus, Kunuma Angus and Bullseye Angus, the purchase of Rhynie R1095 had everybody talking. Rennylea stud co-principal Bryan Corrigan said the bull was a “very balanced bull and ticks a lot of boxes for our breeding objectives”. Dean Lynch, Stud Principal of Kunuma Angus, also commented saying, “We are the highest Angus stud in Australia and our bulls are bred under harsh conditions and we have to have cattle that do, we’re after do-ability and so are our clients and that bull’s going to fit the bill”.
All in all, the sale results for Te Mania Angus would definitely have had the team stoked, 165 Sire Assured bulls sold, an average of $18,437, giving them the second highest average for VIC and their sale toppers.
Another sale later in the season and a close call, when Alpine Angus emerged smashing their own record for the second year running at their spring sale, selling Alpine 38 Special S021PV (CGK21S021) for $120,000. Father and daughter purchasers Paul Solway and Siobhan Cowan, Arkle Angus, made the special trip from WA to purchase the 38 Special son. “We originally saw the bull six weeks ago on a trip through the area, and he was just a standout phenotypically for us. Structurally he is just excellent, and he is by 38 Special, who is a sire we have heard some really good things about, and we have used him ourselves and like what we see,” Ms Cowan said.
Both Te Mania Rhynie R1095PV and Alpine 38 Special S021PV ranked equal sixth for top priced bulls in 2022, while Te Mania Reaves R574SV ranked at fifth position.
The highest average recorded for Victoria was Banquet Angus at their September bull sale for the second year running, surpassing their 2021 September sale average of $16,718. 32 bulls sold to an average of $20,752, a 24% increase in this result compared to their 2021 sale.
South Australia
Total Sales: 18
Bulls Sold: 960
Top Price: $40,000
Top Bull: Mandayen Paratrooper R477 PV– MANR477
Top Average: $19,689 – Sterita Park Angus
Overall Average: $14,229
The heat was certainly turned up in South Australia this year with results jumping well above what was expected, up 34% compared to the 2021 average of $10,585 and setting a competitive target amongst the state. Setting a strong pace that would be tough to beat and obliterating their 2021 sale average by $7,373, it was clear that the crowd at Sterita Park’s Angus bull sale were wanting a piece of
the action.
Selling a total of 106 bulls to a new record average of $19,689 and also setting a new stud record of $38,000 for their top bull, Sterita Park principal Nanni DiGiorgio commented that the result was “never something he expected in his wildest dreams”, and it’s results like these that dreams are made of.
Commercial buyers certainly upped the ante early at Mandayen Angus’s February sale, producing the highest priced bull for the state. Mandayen Paratrooper R477PV (MANR477), sired by the famous Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15, sold to McCarthy Livestock, Lucindale for a sum of $40,000.
Meanwhile, securing the second highest average was Keringa Angus. Bettering their own average standard, they cleared 48 Sire Assured bulls and made a new stud record average of $18,458 for.
New South Wales
Total Sales: 98
Bulls Sold: 5,760
Top Price: $200,000
Top Bull: Milwillah Jaal R138 PV – NJWR138
Top Average: $43,632 – Millah Murrah Angus
Overall Average: $17,966
Another busy year for New South Wales with bull sales conducted around the state increasing by 23%. Many studs seized the opportunity and were cashing in as the sale results started rolling in, showing what can only be described as ‘record breaking’.
A stud in the Angus industry that needs no introduction has rewritten their own top price record, with Millwillah Angus selling Millwillah Jaal R138PV (NJWR138) for a price of $200,000 to Siobhan Cowan, Arkle Angus. Pleased she made the journey over, Siobhan commented “It was our first chance to see the bull, but we were already excited about his pedigree, he has a special set of figures, but the best thing was his phenotype matched them.”
The records didn’t stop there for Milwillah Angus, not only bettering their own average of 112 bulls sold to a new top average of $30,450, but another bull at the auction also sold under the hammer for a hefty $170,000. The price to Milwillah Powerpoint R318SV (NJWR318), sold to Peakes Angus and Mawarra Angus.
Milwillah’s sale average has ranked the stud as the second highest average for the top 10 averages for 2022. Bulls Jaal R138 was crowned the highest priced bull sold, Powerpoint R318 ranked as the third highest priced bull for 2022.
Recording the highest sale average for the year and yet again breaking their own stud record was Millah Murrah Angus, who sold the 128 Sire Assured bulls that were on offer for an average of $43,632, which is up 28% from last years sale average of $34,221.
Millah Murrah also had some bulls that placed in the high positions for the top priced bulls, along with some fellow studs around NSW whose sales had extraordinary results and ranked them into top 10 priced bulls and top 10 averages for 2022.
The top 10 priced bulls and top 10 averages for 2022 are:
Knowla Angus
Ranking in second position for top priced bull, Knowla So Right S48PV (BLA21S48) sold for $190,000 to joint purchase of Spry’s Angus and Cottage Creek Angus. Their sale average of $26,512 has ranked them as the fourth highest for 2022.
Millah Murrah Angus
Ranking in fourth position for top priced bull, Millah Murrah Sugar Ray S76PV (NMM21S76) sold for $160,000 to joint purchase of Ascot Cattle Co. and JT Angus. Ranking in seventh position for top priced bull, Millah Murrah Stormtrooper S235PV (NMM21S235) sold for $110,000 to joint purchase of Heart Angus and Palgrove Pastoral. Ranking in equal eighth position for top priced bull, Millah Murrah Stormtrooper S52PV (NMM21S52) sold for $100,000 to Bassett Cattle Co. Roma, QLD, and Millah Murrah Sugar Ray S273PV (NMM21S273) sold for $100,000 to Mr David McLeod, NT.
Waitara Angus
Ranking in equal seventh position for top priced bull, Waitara GK Safekeeping S56PV (BSC21S56) sold for $110,000 to a syndicate sale of Merridale Angus, Crawford Angus, Cascade Angus and Little Meadows Angus.
Clunie Range Angus
Had a sale average of $25,212 that has ranked them as the fifth highest for 2022.
Texas Angus
Ranking average in third position selling a total of $28,057.
Hazledean Angus
A sale average ranking of top 8 for 2022, with a top average of $24,013 at their autumn bull sale.
Peakes Angus
Strong averages all round with Peakes ranking in as the ninth highest average for 2022 with their sale average of $22,878.
Rennylea Angus
Last but not least the tenth ranking average stud for 2022, with 212 bulls sold for a sale average of $22,546.
Feature Image: Nathan, Anthony & Alex McCarthy, McCarthy Livestock, with Mandy, Zoe & Damian Gommers, Mandayen, Spence Dix and Co director Jono Spence and Elders Victoria Stud Stock manager Ross Milne with Mandayen Paratrooper R477. Image: Stock Journal
Sam Hamilton, Marketing Officer – Sale Catalogues
