Sale summary: 108 bull sold; top price $31,500; average price $9662; 100pc clearance.
A South Australian stud breeder was able to participate fully in The Grove's 37th annual on-property bull sale at Condamine last Thursday, thanks to digital technology, and secure the top priced bull on the day for $31,500.
The Grove Playstation P0870 (P), a traditional roan-coloured two-year-old sire, was listed late in the catalogue but caused many of the pings as bids were recorded on AuctionsPlus throughout the afternoon.
Weighing 890kg, his scrotal circumference was 40cm, his eye muscle area was 139 square centimetres, and his intramuscular fat was 7.6 per cent.
When the auction closed the successful bidder was Belmore Shorthorns based at Cadgee near Naracoorte, SA.
Belmore stud principal Andy Withers said his structural correctness and temperament score, by far the highest in the catalogue, as well as his meat and maturity patterns, had been what he was chasing.
"We'll use him in our stud - we have 400 registered females," Mr Withers said. "We have an exceptionally good Royalla bull that we paid $40,000 for and this bull from The Grove will complement him well."
He said they'd used The Grove genetics in the past and they'd done a good job for them.
The Grove stud spokesman Spencer Morgan said he was by a sire, The Grove H0055(P), that had bred very well for them for a while.
"Playstation was our highest indexing bull for calving ease and growth rates, plus for high yield - I imagine that's what sparked people's interest," he said.
The first 22 lots were sold via open auction, interfaced with AuctionsPlus, before the rest of the catalogue went to the Helmsman/AuctionsPlus bidding program, and it was one of the sires offered by open auction, The Grove Emissary P0579 (P) (AI) (ET) that sold for the second top price of $22,000.
Emissary weighed 970kg, had a scrotal circumference of 40cm, an EMA of 143sq cm, rump and rib fat measurements of 12mm and 8mm, and IMF of 7.8pc.
He was purchased by John and Judy Acton, Brackloon Grazing, Blackwater for $22,000.
They were the purchasers of last year's top-priced bull for $32,000.
Ms Acton said they did a lot of cross-breeding and would be putting him with their Brahman-cross herd.
"There was a terrific line-up of bulls this year - they were very fertile and had great temperaments plus weight for age statistics," she said. "The Morgan boys did everything possible to help us choose bulls on the day, with videos to watch and all the figures."
They purchased four bulls in all.
Paying $17,500 for The Grove Eros Q0121 (P) (AI) was the Essex Grazing Company, Middlemount, who were also one of the sale's volume buyers, securing 10 bulls by the end of the day.
Three bulls went for $16,000, The Grove Boonal P0338 (P) who also went Essex's way, The Grove Mittiebah P0669 (P) who was purchased by the Appleton Cattle Co at Alpha, and The Grove Outback P0289 (P), who went to the Usher Pastoral Co, Truno Station, Tambo.
Yambah Proprietors, based in Alice Springs, bought 19 bulls right through the catalogue from lot 12 to lot 113, for an average $6552.
The 86 2yo Shorthorn bulls offered were sold for an average $9674 while the nine yearling Shorthorns brought an average of $11,2777.
The Morgans offered three 2yo Durham black bulls for an average of $9166 and eight yearling Durham black bulls for an average of $8125.
The two Durham red bulls offered were sold for an average of $8750.
Spencer Morgan said it had been a solid result for the stud, which was happy to welcome both new and repeat clients on the day.
- Selling agents: Nutrien, GDL, Elders, AuctionsPlus interface