MAWARRA Genetics bull, ‘If Only Q264’ broke records at the Herefords Australia Wodonga National Sale on Wednesday, May 12.

It was the highest priced bull in the event’s history and sold to local buyer, David Lyons of Melville Park Herefords, Vasey for a whopping $103,000.
It blew the event’s previous record of $95,000 out of the water, which was made in 2016 by South Australian sire, Minlacowie Jubilant J123, sold to Devon Court Herefords.
The sale was also streamed online through AuctionsPlus so the crowd was left guessing about who the big spender was until Mr Lyons was revealed as the owner.
Mr Lyons had been looking into Mawarra the bull prior to the Wodonga National Sale and was drawn to the bull’s combination of phenotype and impressive data set, saying it could be hard to find a good bull with good figures to match.

“He has an excellent soft skin, really exceptional thickness, good length and really good birth weight – roughly on breed average, good growth figures, good milk figures and really exceptional carcase data, especially IMF.”

~ Melville Park Herefords, David Lyons

“He had an excellent IMF. That’s what we’ve sort of been trying to concentrate on, but you need to get a bull to go with it, that’s not easy.”
The 21-month-old horned sire weighed in at 872 kilograms with an EMA measurement of 133 square centimetres, rib and rump fats of 14 and 23 millimetres respectively, and a scrotal circumference of 42 centimetres.
‘If Only’ boasted impressive Breedplan data, with an IMF in the top one per cent of the breed, EMA in the top five per cent, 400 and 600-day weights and scrotal in the top 10 per cent and all indexes within the top 15 per cent of the breed.
The national sale saw 72 of the 84 bulls sold, with a strong average of $14,775.
This was another record for the event – the sale reached a gross total of over $1 million.
Last year’s sale saw an average price of $9040 and a top price of $55,000, both of these figures were smashed this year, leaving the many vendors exceptionally happy.
Peter and Deanne Sykes of Mawarra Genetics, sold on the day and were extremely pleased with the result and said it was important to share the moment with the whole family.
“I’m just so proud of the family,” Ms Skyes said.
“It’s such a team effort for us and it’s just brilliant to be here all together and sharing in it, that’s what makes it really special.”
Mawarra’s previous top price was $60,000 which it received for Mawarra Notsalgia in 2004, so they were ecstatic about the sale and described it as a “dream come true”.
The stud also sold bulls for $53,000 and $42,000.
Twelve sale bulls sold for more than $20,000, six of which were sold by the Sykes family, rounding out a very memorable day.
Mr Lyons said he planned to have the bull transported from Wodonga to Camperdown and then take it to its new home at Melville Park.