MASSIVE competition for Boonaroo Angus’ beef genetics saw all previous records out the window, as the top price of $34,000 was reached twice at the stud’s annual bull sale.
Principals Shane and Jodie Foster offered 124 bulls at Friday’s sale, which sold to an average $17,161 – almost $7000 above last year – and the record top of $22,000 – paid in both 2020 and 2021 – was broken with Lot 1, when the hammer fell at $24,000 for Boonaroo Charlie R60.
Just five lots later, PJ and JM Coote purchased the first top-priced bull of the day, Lot 6 Boonaroo Katapault R14.
Agent, TDC Penola’s Sam Hill, congratulated Boonaroo on the quality of the offering and the outstanding result.
“This sale was very strong, beat most of the South Australian sales, probably bar one … an exceptional sale and the Fosters should be rapt,” Mr Hill said.
He said his client used Boonaroo Angus genetics, exclusively and had attended the sale this year, with the sole intent to take home Lot 6.
“Our client, Peter Coote, sells his calves through the January weaner sales, has probably one of the heavier runs of calves you’ll see … his tops this year were 465 kilos,” Mr Hill said.
“We picked one, we were buying that one - the best bull in the sale, in our opinion.
“There’s not much to say wrong about him, everything was right, he’s just that all-rounder bull … you had people in the heifer market and the cow market all trying to get him.”
Competition reflected the outstanding weaner sale prices gained earlier this year, the confidence in the industry has never been higher.
At Lot 104, South Australia’s Princess Royal Station paid the top again for Boonaroo Nebraska R347 and was the top volume buyer of the day, purchasing eight bulls to an average $23,000.
Sired by another Boonaroo superstar, the 2020-drop R347 found himself later in the sale order only for his age and with EBVs outstanding for calving ease and growth and excellent structure to stand alongside the data, he drew fierce competition from bidders.
Michael and Jacinta Coffey, Coffey Partnership, paid the second-highest price of the day, taking home Boonaroo Charlie R327, for $28,000.
A Lawsons Charlie son, the 2020-drop bull has traits for calving ease and growth in the top 20 per cent of the breed and good muscle with marbling, off grass.
The Coffeys join around 270 breeders at their Port Fairy property, including around 80 heifers and sell their calves as weaners.
Mr Coffey said he attended the sale to take home one of the three “all-rounders” on his wish list and after missing out on Lot 6, was very happy to secure the Lot 64 bull.
“We’ve been (to Boonaroo sales) a few times, got a few Boonaroo bulls at home and we’re very happy with them,” Mr Coffey said.
“There were a lot of very good bulls as the sale and I got a bit nervous there at the (Lot 6) price, but we’ve been getting good prices for our weaners and you’ve got to pay good money for good bulls, to keep the pace.
“Most important is to go home with the bull you’re happy with, that does what you need and (Lot 64) is an all-rounder, I could hardly find fault with him, he ticked every box for us to try and cover every base.”
Other volume buyers were Nathan Faroe at Carapook Pastoral, purchasing five bulls to a top of $21,000, average $17,600.
CP & LM (Chris and Lyn) Iredell purchased five bulls to a top of $15,000, average $13,400.
Greenwald Pastoral Co purchased five bulls to a top of $20,000, average $16,200.
Kevin (KJ) Upton, Glencairn, purchased five bulls to a top of $14,000, average $11,400.
Sam and Susie (SR &S) Whitehead purchased five bulls to a top of $24,000, average $21,000.
Hamish and Leonie (H&L) McNicol, Meteranvale, purchased four bulls to a top of $23,000, average $19,750.
Mrs Foster said the stud was delighted by and grateful for the response from buyers to this year’s offering – the culmination of 20 years’ work in developing a specific and outstanding genetic line.
We were just amazed at the level of support and really pleased that we had so many of our clients come back to buy bulls year after year and we’ve had some new clients come this year that have really cemented the sale and lifted the average
Jodie Foster, prinicpal Boonaroo
“We were just amazed at the level of support and really pleased that we had so many of our clients come back to buy bulls year after year and we’ve had some new clients come this year that have really cemented the sale and lifted the average,” she said.
“When we first started out, we really wanted a quiet herd of Angus cattle with really good structure that could calve easily but then have explosive growth and we’ve followed that right through.
“We’re fine-tuning it now with something that has a lot of doing ability, a little bit of fat cover with plenty of muscle, so they can do the job in a grass-fed situation and people can finish their calves and just have a product that does really well, that they’re proud of and enjoy working with.
“Helping clients develop their herds, that’s what it’s all about for us, we thank everyone for their bidding today and attending, we really appreciated it.”
