ANC full French Charolais sale sets new top price, consistent average

When the sale at Gulugaba finished, the family had sold all 120 bulls on offer, recorded a new top price of $50,000, and reached an average price in the $13,000 range for the third year in a row.

It was an extraordinarily positive sale, in which a new top price was set every few lots as the sale progressed, finalised when lot 105, ANC Snazzy came into the ring.

As well as being the bull on the front of the sale catalogue, a starting bid of $12,000 pointed to a bidding duel about to unfold.

In the end it was fellow Charolais stud breeders, the Price family at Moongool, Yuleba who were successful, paying $50,000 for the 24-month-old poll bull that weighed 1015kg with a scrotal circumference of 41cm.

Moongool stud principal Ivan Price said the nicely balanced bull had all the breed characteristics one would want to see in a bull, citing muscle and fat coverage especially.

As well as intra-muscular fat of 4.7 per cent, the son of GDA Premier had an eye muscle area of 145 square centimetres and semen morphology of 78pc.

"Bulls like that are always dear, there's always people chasing them," Mr Price said. "We like to use French genetics every third cross - we're repeat buyers of ANC bulls and to me, they're square and more muscular."

Keddstock P/L also purchased ANC Sauna, 22 months and polled, for $20,000.

Yackamunda Investments, based at Collinsville, who topped the sale last year, was the underbidder for the top priced bull this year, but they didn't go home empty-handed.

They finished the sale on Friday with nine bulls for an average price of $15,166, and Dillon Scott said they'd returned because of the cattle's robust genetics.

"The full French crosses well over our Brahman cows," he said.

On the other hand, it was the first time at an ANC sale for the purchasers of the second-top priced bull, Jeff and Jackie Dann, who are commercial breeders from Wandoan, but they said they'd always wanted to invest in the genetics.

They outlaid $32,500 for 24-month-old poll ANC Stuttgart, another bull weighing 1015kg.

Brendan Dann said they'd needed a bull for Charolais stud cows they'd purchased from a breeder who was retiring and Stuttgart was well put together with size and muscle.

"We thought he was one of the better options in the catalogue," he said.

Described as upstanding and clean-coated, he had an EMA of 147sq cm, a scrotal circumference of 40cm, and semen morphology of 81pc.

The 100pc clearance resulted in a sale average of $13,929 for the 120 bulls sold, a $200 improvement on the 2022 average of $13,764, 96pc clearance, and top price of $42,500.

Stud principal Andrew Cass said they'd deliberately aimed higher with testicular size this year, and the bulls catalogued were 100kg heavier than last year's draft.

"I'm tickled pink with the result," he said. "Your bidding today makes our future."

Of the top priced bull, he said its weight for age and size made him a naturally showy bull.

"I would have kept him except we have enough," he said. "We've kept many of his dad's sons."

Commenting on the money made for the second top priced bull, Mr Cass said ANC Stuttgart was out of "a cracking cow", ANC Felix's Netty.

Buyers were spread from western NSW to tropical North Queensland, and Mr Cass said the full French attributes was what gave commercial breeders extra power.

"The commercial world is revelling in them," he said.

The Booth family, Burunga P/L, Wandoan, successfully purchased 10 bulls for an average of $17,150 and Charlie Booth said they'd been chasing softer bulls with a higher IMF score.

"It's our third time here - we sell weaners and the Charolais-cross is our best selling," he said.

Other volume buyers were Condon Grazing, Conjuboy, Mt Garnet, securing seven bulls for an average $13,714, and Whitton Cattle Co, Injune, who outlaid an average $11,000 for eight bulls.

As well as the 72 bid cards filled out in person, seven bulls were sold to six online buyers, from Mundubbera, Narrabri, Winton, Tambo, Mingela and Ingham.

Ray White Casino, NSW was active at the sale, buying 10 bulls for eight different enterprises, while George & Fuhrmann at Casino finished with three bulls for Willoise Grazing, TW McCormack at Casino bought one bull for Rippon Family Pastoral, and Ramsey & Bulmer Casino were the successful bidders on one bull for Nigel Rippon and Karen Barber.