Willaura stud bags top-priced bull at Hereford National Show and Sale

Yarram Park Herefords secured the sale-topper, Lot 40, after a burst of competitive bidding.

The bull, Mawarra Whiteout T290, was bred and exhibited by Mawarra Genetics, Longford, and had received the grand champion ribbon on Wednesday.

The August 2022-drop bull was sired by Mawarra Showtime P277 and out of Mawarra Miss Titania 127.

The grand champion had Hereford Breedplan EBV figures of +7.0 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of +6.1kg, 200-day weight of +38kg, 400-day weight of +72kg and 600-day weight of +100kg.

Yarram Park Herefords stud principal Antony Baillieu said the stud was ready to identify a bull with good genetics.

"If we could identify one today at a reasonable price, we thought the grand champion was our number one choice," he said.

"The senior bull was also a very good bull and we didn't think that he was particularly dear today.

"There's nothing enormously large about them, apart from they've all got good milk, they've got good eye muscle area, they're positive for intramuscular fats, while they're phenotypically good doing bulls.

"Because the bulls we rare are on grass so we must have bulls that have natural doing ability and the cow lines on both bulls were very strong in Mawarra.

"We regard the cow line very highly, I think if you want some predictability.

"It's important that the bulls are good and the cows particularly good."

Mawarra Genetics stud co-principal Peter Sykes said he was "really pleased" with the sale result.

"The top-priced bull has gone to a good home, Yarram Park, the well known-cattle stud," he said.

"We're really thrilled that he's gone to there.

"We think a lot of the bull and we think he'll do a great job for them."

Mr Sykes said Yarram Park had used Mawarra's genetics for a while and that they've worked "really well" for them.

"We're breeding the type of cattle very similar to their type of cattle and we fit into their program very well."

Overall, he said he was happy with his stud's performance in Wodonga and said the regular clientele stepped up for his breeding.

Thursday's sale saw varied results with demand affected by a mixed season.

A total of 86 bulls were sold from the 121 offered at the sale, to the top of $46,000 and an average of $11,721.

This was back on the 2023 sale where 118 bulls were sold from 160 offered, to a top of $75,000 and an average of $12,067.

Elders auctioneer Paul Dooley said there had been some really good sales in Wodonga the last couple of years but today, it was the buyers turn.

"Registrations were down with 110 registrations," he said.

"Normally we have 170 or 180.

"It's very dry down this way and I think a lot of the vendors that had realistic expectations would be happy."

Yarram Park Herefords took home a total of three top bulls from Mawarra Genetics' lineup.

Mr Baillieu also bought Lot 18, Mawarra Wild Bill T707, for $16,000, and Mawarra Western Star T060 Lot 114 for $26,000, who also the senior champion bull for the show.

He said he was delighted to take home some top Mawarra Genetics breeding.

The second highest priced bull at the sale was Lot 90, Mawarra Lamborghini T329.

The July 2022-drop bull went for $34,000 and was bought by Amos-Vale Herefords, Pinkett, New South Wales.

The bull was sired by Mawarra If Only Q264 and was out of Mawarra Minerva 1021.

The Mawarra Genetics breed sire had Hereford Breedplan EBV figures of +3.4 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of +3.3kg, 200-day weight of +23kg, 400-day weight of +43kg and 600-day weight of +69kg.

Amos-Vale Hereford stud principal Mark Campion said he liked his new bull's overall "sire appeal".

"I think he gets up and moves about very, very well," he said.

"He's got tremendous length and depth and he's a beautiful soft calf."

He said the bull will compliment his herd's breeding very well.

Mr Campion ran a Hereford stud, selling 35 bulls every year, alongside a commercial beef operation.

"We're always on the look out for a good bull and when we spotted this fella, we though he'd compliment our herd," he said.

He said it was mainly the bull's phenotype, rather than its figures, which encouraged him to make the purchase.

"His phenotype is exceptional and I think we still need need to breed good bulls with good phenotype," he said.

Elsewhere, Melville Park Poll Herefords, Vasey, took home Lot 94, Granite Hill Toro T010, for $24,000.

The bull was sired by Injemira Robert Redford Q287 and out of Kerlson Pines Annie L1.

The July 2022-drop bull had Hereford Breedplan EBV figures of +7.5 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of +1.0kg, 200-day weight of +39kg, 400-day weight of +70kg and 600-day weight of +94kg.

Melville Park stud principal David Lyons said the bull had "good soft skin" and "good muscle".

"He had good thickness and great EMA, really good carcass data," he said.

Mr Lyons said the bull will be joined naturally to his top cows.

"I'm really happy with the purchase because it was going to be a tough market but the better bulls made money," he said.