A QUALITY line-up of Angus bulls with EBVs to match and strong competition from return buyers, saw prices hit a high of $8000 at last week's Ardcairnie on-property bull sale at Kojonup.
While the top-price of the sale mirrored last year's top price for Ardcairnie stud principals Jim and Pam McGregor, there was a noticeable difference with the average jumping considerably on the 2011 result.
This year 31 bulls sold to an average of $3981, which was up $395 on last year when 29 bulls were sold.
Some 25 potential buyers spread from Esperance, Great Southern, South Coast, South West and up to Gingin, along with one from the Eastern States, registered for the sale and of these, 19 were buyers including four whom were first time buyers of Ardcairnie bulls.
It was lot 10, born May 1, 2010, which topped the sale.
Sired by Lawsons Dinky-Di Z191 (AI) (ET) its 200, 400 and 600-day weights were +51, +83 and +113 and his four $Index values were +$128, +$96, +$80 and +$83.
It was the bull's figures and structure that caught the eye of a number of buyers and in the later stages with three bidders operating, the price quickly rose to $8000 before the bull was finally knocked down to Alan Greenwell, Bullrush Farm, Gingin.
Mr Greenwell has been buying bulls from Ardcairnie since 2007 and two years ago paid the top price of the sale.
The losing bidders were Don and Rosemarie Brooks, Harbour Downs Pastoral Co, Denmark, who run 300 Angus and Murray Grey cross breeders.
While they missed out on the top bull they didn't go home empty handed paying $4200 for a bull.
The other major bidder on the top bull was former Angus stud breeder and now commercial breeder Murray Nixon, MD & ME Nixon, Greenwood Farm, Gingin.
In his first visit to Ardcairnie as a buyer, and having been outbid on the top bull, Mr Nixon went on to buy lot 26 at the sale's $6800 second top price.
Mr Nixon, who runs a pure Angus herd and sells about 100 calves a year, said the two bulls he selected were very evenly balanced in their figures.
Wes Graham, Esperance, paid the $8000 top price last year and this year purchased a sire at $6400.
Another first-time buyer was fellow stud breeder, Greg Petricevich, Blue Ribbon stud, West Darling Downs, who purchased a son of BT Right Time 24J at $5000.
Another to pay $5000 for one of two bulls he secured was local breeder David Jannings.
Two regular clients both went home with four bulls each were Ric and Alison Wheatley, Bridgetown, who went to $4000 and Steve Neville trading as Old Bambun Grazing, Gingin, who went to $3700.
And, as a result of the sale, five from the offering are bound for South Australia.
A few years ago Bruce Treloar, a livestock agent from Leabrook, Adelaide, visited the Ardcairnie stud.
Impressed with what he saw, last year Mr Treloar, through the services of Lew Smit, purchased one bull.
This year the buying order, again in the hands of Lew Smit, was for five head.
One was purchased during the sale at $3900 and phone calls between parties following the auction resulted in four others being purchased.
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