BREAKING records has become something of a habit for the Dickens family of JAD Speckle Park and the trend continued at their fourth bull and female sale last Friday at Yeoval, New South Wales, with a full clearance and top price of $55,000.
The stud bull offering smashed JAD stud's previous breed record bull average by nearly $5000, with all 34 stud bulls averaging a staggering $23,000.
An all-breeds Australian record was set later in the catalogue for pregnant commercial heifers, topping at $7000 and averaging $4905 for 59 head.
The sale's depth of quality throughout the bull offering was evident in its strong average, with all 36 stud heifers going on to average $15,333, as well as a full clearance on the commercial bulls, averaging $17,000 and 32 embryos averaging $2250. The entire sale grossed $1,763,400.
The sale top-priced bull, JAD Rare Cat R109, was knocked down early in the offering, with the 18-month-old bull having caught the eye of buyer, Minnamurra Speckle Park's Dennis Power, Coolah, NSW.
JAD Rare Cat R109's sire, Maungahina Legacy, was a key selling point for the well-known Minnamurra stud.
"I have been wanting to get a Legacy bull, and today was the day we could get one," said Minnamurra's general manager Dennis Power.
"Rare Cat is a beautiful bull and all his figures are what we want, so he will be quite an asset to our operation."
As the heifer lots were offered, the partnership of Te Mooi Speckle Parks, Benalla, Victoria, and Penryhol Speckle Parks, Dhurringile, Victoria, stepped to the fore, putting in the $24,000 bid to secure the top-priced stud female, JAD 26T Yorbalinda R77.
The 18-month-old River Hill Traffic Jam 26T daughter was pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) to JAD's exciting new sire, JAD Quistacat Q48, for a September calving.
Te Mooi Speckle Park's Paul Guy said he was chasing the heifer's family line, the Yorbalindas.
"She comes from a line that produces high quality herd sires and the females get in calf, she has a high IMF (intramuscular fat), great temperament, and she was just what we are looking for," Mr Guy said.
Eight pens of commercial heifers, totally 59 head, were also offered, with a pen of six second and third cross PTIC heifers making the top price of $7000 per head to buyers, Kieran and Bree Quinn, Quinn Cattle Co, Bundaberg, Queensland.
The sale's strength continued into the genetic lots, with embryo packages topping at $2750 twice.
Firstly for a package of four Maungahina Promise/ Ravenworth Prairie Lily 123G embryos, and a then for a package of four Greenwood Future 20F/Ravenworth Prairie Lily 123G.
Both of these packages were purchased by Kapernick Farming Pty Ltd, Gin Gin, Queensland.
There were three main volume buyers, WA's Roman Road Pty Ltd who purchased one stud bull and five heifers to a top of $45,000 (for JAD Ritualistic R83) and average of $20,833.
Barakee Pastoral, Springsure, Queensland, purchased five stud bulls and one commercial bull to a top of $28,000 (for JAD Ransom R135) and average of $22,000.
WV James and Son who has purchased at all four JAD sales, added five bulls to a top of $48,000 (for JAD Reigning R110) and average of $32,400.
JAD Speckle Park principal Justin Dickens said there was a lot of support from both new and repeat clients from both stud and commercial backgrounds with consistent interest throughout the catalogue.
"We have already made steps to significantly grow our stud and Friday's result has only spurred us on to go further," Mr Dickens said.
"We have a commercial focus in everything we do and are glad that our approach is being appreciated among our growing client base.
"We were particularly pleased to see so much support from repeat clients and are now looking forward to getting to know the new buyers who supported us this year."
Guest auctioneer Brian Leslie, Dairy Livestock Services, Arcadia, Victoria, had sold at all previous JAD sales and said their product was continually improving, with this year's sale draft being the best he had seen.
"Someone told me a long time ago, a breed can only go as far as its top breeders take it," Mr Leslie said.
"You need people like Justin and Amy because they put their best foot forward and they are selling cattle that are doing the job."
The sale was interfaced on AuctionsPlus where there was 331 registered bidders and a further 222 guest viewers with 63 active bidders and 440 online bids.
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