Commercial and seedstock producers flocked to the 52nd Texas Angus Bull Sale to witness records tumble. With only family beef operators either stud or commercial buyers represented and no Corporate’s on the day, Texas Angus sold all 155 bulls to top at a staggering record stud price of $108,000 with a record average of $14,052.
Bulls sold across Australia as far as WA, SA, VIC, QLD & NSW with the COVID 19 stands and extra seats brimming, the auctioneers and the online Elite Livestock Auctions platform were all working very hard. Chris Norris of Elite Livestock Auctions said it was the highest registrations and online viewers for the online platform and he wasn’t surprised by the result when he saw the quality and depth of the Texas bulls. The confidence in the Texas Angus program was extremely strong with just under 200 registered bidders and 600 people viewing from around the world.
The highest selling bull, Lot 6 Texas Powerplay P613(AI)(ET) sold for $108,000 to Kellys Angus, VIC and Worldwide Sires Australia and Worldwide Select Sires who battled it out with Little Meadows Angus, WA, both are clients of Texas. This priced smashed the previous top price of $56,000 back in 2017. Powerplay was described as the best and most complete bull ever bred at Texas and he was no fluke as all three flush brothers averaged $53,333! His dam Texas Undine H647 (daughter of Texas’s best female Texas Undine Z183) has now sold 12 sons that are currently averaging $26,333 and we don’t think there are to many Angus cows in Australia that can match this result with this many sons. Powerplay was purchased sight unseen but recommended by a number of advisers and Patrick Joyce, Manager of Kelly’s Angus said “he’s got impeccable feet, and for 1000kg bull he is free moving. No matter what herd he would go into he would be a herd improver.” Ben and Wendy also keep 2 full brothers and plan to use Powerplay heavily this spring.
Harvey Waymen-Jones GDL, Michael Glasser GTSM, Ben & Wendy Mayne with Hayden Chappel Texas Angus with top priced Lot 6 Texas Powerplay P613(AI)(ET). Photo (Viable AG Marketing)
Not to be overshadowed the Golding family of Little Meadows Angus WA finally secured the second priced bull Lot 89 Texas Ashland Q29 (now named Quantum Leap) for $42,000 and once again sight unseen. Quantum Leap was one of the first GAR Ashland son’s to sell in Australia and Tony, Karen and Mostyn Golding selected him for being new genetics having low birth to high growth with attractive carcase figures. He will be used over their heifers. Since the sale Agri-gene has signed up this bull to sell semen in Australia this Spring.
Harvey Waymen-Jones GDL, Michael Glasser GTSM, Ben & Wendy Mayne with Hayden Chappel Texas Angus with second top price Lot 89 Texas Quantum Leap Q029(AI). (Photo Viable Ag Marketing)
Other studs that purchased on the day included long term buyer Col Flanagan and Pat Ebert (was of Granit Ridge Angus SA) now Prime Angus VIC who secured Lot 39 Texas Powerball P614 (flush brother to Lot 6 Powerplay) for $32,000 online, Stu and Nat Hann, Nampara Angus SA (long term buyers) took home Lot 135 Texas Reality P224(AI) for $26,000, Crawford’s Angus NSW (repeat clients) took home Lot 7 Texas Knockout P622(AI)(ET) for $24,000, Gibson Angus NSW returned to take the first bull of the sale Lot 1 Texas Presho P208(AI) for $19,000 while Merridale Angus VIC picked up Lot 49 Texas Horsepower Q153(AI)(ET) for $16,000.
The commercial buyers certainly battled it out with the stud guys paying up to $25,000 for Lot 55 Texas Beast Mode P398 by Marco Ceccanttini, Bathurst NSW. Return buyer Col Varidel of Yuleba QLD took home 9 bulls for an average $17,333, topping at $23,000 for Lot 19 Texas Messiah P300, another repeat buyer Mick Turra of Gippsland VIC bought 3 online topping at $20,000 and averaging $17,000 while Tigrigie Cattle Company, Taroom QLD who are long term clients returned to take home 10 bulls for an average $14,500 while another long term repeat buyer Comet Downs Cattle Trust, Comet QLD backed up from last year who took home 8 bulls for an average $14,250. With only a handful of new clients, Richie Hooper of Taroom QLD who was looking for a change took home 5 bulls for an average $14,200, while Andy Steel, Penrith Nominees of Buckley, Western District VIC who has been following the Texas program for a few years snapped up a Moe son for $12,000. While Geoff Porges who secured Lot 86 Texas Pedigree Q151 for $18,000 online in America purely on Ben’s advice is bound for Geoff’s commercial operation at Bathurst NSW.
The confidence in the Texas Program blew Ben and Wendy away. It was an emotional day for the family and Ben who shed a tear for his father as he would have loved him to see the quality, depth and consistency of this year’s bulls. COVID_19 has certainly changed the way the Mayne’s now market the bulls and has forced them into using a new selling medium they hadn’t used before. So many buyers secured bulls sight unseen under Ben’s recommendation by utilising the Elite online platform. Ben and Wendy thought investing $26,000 into upgrading the internet service at the sale ring was costly especially after enduring the worst drought on record but the results where incredible and they were very thankful they hired a professional IT rural coverage specialist who travelled all the way from Bathurst NSW to install it. They did say they certainly need to improve the mobile coverage as it crashed just prior to the sale as there were too many phones on the day!
The Mayne’s would specially like to thank their team who includes Hayden Chappel, Brenton Sessions, GTSM, BJA, GDL, ELA, Bovine Breeders, Rob Pashen, who all make a valuable contribution to their program.
Check out these amazing photos taken by Creative by George, Gina accompanied her husband to purchase 2 bulls and on the side took these awesome photos! Thanks Gina!
