A first-time buyer has walked away with the top-priced bull at Tamaroo Angus' 2024 bull sale in Tasmania.
The Cygnet, Tas, stud sold 17 of 22 bulls on offer to a top of $12,000 to average $6060, with bulls knocked down to three new buyers and commercial grass-fed operations in Tasmania and Victoria
"Our sale this year demonstrated our most even, well-well-balanced line of bulls we have put forward to date," Tamaroo Angus stud principal Adam Harvey said.
"With extremely good carcase merit, we believe they confirm all of our main breeding fundamentals of sound in structure, fast growth rates and exceptional temperament."
The sale was held at the Tasmania Livestock Exchange at Powranna, Tas.
Mr Harvey said the auction was supported by cattle buyers across Tasmania, including King Island, where many graziers had experienced the challenges of drier-than-usual seasonal conditions and a decline in store cattle prices.
"Repeat or return buyers with confidence in our program played a big part to the success of our sale, with 70 per cent of bulls knocked down to clients in Tasmania," he said.
The top-priced bull was bought by John Mundy, Bona Vista Farm Trust, Avoca, Tas, who bought Lot 9, Tamaroo Iceman T10, for $12,000, as well as Lot 8, Tamaroo Dusty T13, for $4000.
Tamaroo Angus described Lot 9 as a "really well-balanced" bull sired by Texas Iceman out of a strong cow line.
"A great mix of a heifer bull with heaps of muscle, body length and a beautiful temperament," Mr Harvey said.
Mr Munday said he was attracted to the Tamaroo progeny after a recommendation from a livestock carrier.
"I grew up at Cygnet and have a fair bit of history down there and when I inspected the bulls, I was pleasantly surprised," he said.
"These bulls have a lot of potential to expand our herd, and Iceman himself has a lovely structure and a good set of figures."
Mr Munday and his wife Kaye run a self-replacing Angus operation which comprises 500 cows and breeds calves for the Powranna calf sales in March each year.
A volume buyer included Jamie Woolley, Surveyors Bay Pastoral, Surveyors Bay, Tas, who bought three bulls to a top price of $9000.
His purchases included Lot 1, Tamaroo Iceman T24, for $9000, Lot 2, Tamaroo Paratrooper T16, for $4000, and Lot 7, Tamaroo Dusty T26, for $4000.
Mr Woolley manages the operation and said the bulls would be joined to mixed-age cows in October and November.
"We've been a frequent buyer at Tamaroo for a very long and we find the bulls do our job really well," he said.
"These bulls had very good docility and we looked for bulls with a bit of growth."
Fred Perry, Millwood Pastoral, King Island, Tas, bought three bulls including Lot 19, Tamaroo Iceman T15, for $7000 and Lot 17, Tamaroo Sterling T17, and Lot 19, Tamaroo Iceman T15, for $7000, respectively.
Norman and Heather Rattway, Goshen Farm, Goulds Country, Tas, also bought three bulls for $4000 each.
Victorian buyers John and Heather Drysdale and their son Leigh, The Lilly Pastoral, Yarck, bought two bulls for $9000 each, including Lot 3, Tamaroo Iconic T19, and Lot 13, Tamaroo Quixote T12, for $9000.
Rob and John Clements, Cremona Park, Molesworth, bought two bulls including Lot 15, Tamaroo Iceman T23, for $9000, and Lot 18, Tamaroo Richard T28, for $4000.