Outstanding Poll Hereford result for Days Whiteface

The 17th annual Days Whiteface and Allendale combined Poll Hereford bull sale at Bordertown attracted a large crowd of over 150, including 46 registered bidders from four states and territories.

The resultant strong competition produced a great result, very much on par with last year on average, but with a big lift of 22% in the clearance rate.

It was almost a perfect sale in that it had a good top end and a very solid middle range, both rewarding the vendors for their outstanding genetic quality and presentation, while there was also plenty of great value bulls for those with limited budgets. Fifty seven percent sold from $3000 to $4500 and in today’s cattle market and the slaughter rates for old bulls, buyers couldn’t get much better value than that.

69 of the 71 Poll Hereford bulls, ranging in age from 19 to 22 months, cleared to a top price of $17,000. This top price was the third highest achieved at this sale over the 17 years, while 13 more bulls cleared.

Victorian buying support was particularly strong, providing the top priced bull buyer and 46% of the 35 successful buyers. Central Australian support has been severely limited in the last few years due to drought conditions, but was back and also strong this year with two buying accounts purchasing 18 bulls, or 26% of the bull sales.

Rodwells Mansfield agent Jamie Beckingsale has supported this sale for numerous years with his Victorian high country cattle clients and was again the buying agent for the top priced bull.

Repeat buyers, Michael and Nerida Hanlon, Sacul Investments and their manager Craig Wedlock, Howes Creek Station, Mansfield placed the winning bid for Lot 6, Days Calibre J203. He was the first son offered by new USA sire ‘Mr Hereford 11X’ and is out of Allendale Dawn C62, the dam of Days Calibre G74, the $90,000 Dubbo record priced bull from 2013. This classical high performance, but moderate framed bull attracted a lot of pre-sale interest.

“This bull is wonderfully balanced and muscled, being very hard to fault; we just liked the way he was put together. He has good colour and also offered us a new bloodline. We will use him over some of our best cows to breed replacement heifers for our 350 head commercial herd, and steers and surplus heifers for the calf markets,” Craig Wedlock said.

“We keep coming back to this sale because we are really pleased with the quality of the calves we have been getting from bulls we’ve purchased from here previously. They are extremely quiet cattle and acclimatise really well in our country. On top of that, the Day families are so easy to deal with
and they certainly back their product,” Craig said.

Underbidder on the top priced bull was Shona Conroy, bidding for Pewsey Vale, Mt Pleasant. She compensated six lots later with a successful $8000 bid on Days J102, an impressive Days Blackberry G82 son with style, balance, sire power and performance across all EBVs and Indices.

Other than the sale topper, three other bulls made $10,000 or better, two of these coming from the Days draft. One went to strong repeat and top end buyers, Murray, Andrew and Katie Stoney, ‘Ellingerrin’, Inverleigh, Victoria who paid $11,000 for their purchase at lot 7, Days Exclusive J105, another high growth and superbly balanced son of Days Blackberry G82.

New South Wales buying support contributed to six bulls purchased by four buyers. Glenewan Pastoral, Balranald, NSW and buying through Elders Mildura was very strong, purchasing two bulls including Days Emerald J40 for $10,000. Currans Family Trust, Hermidale and buying through Elders Nyngan were also strong, picking up two excellent Days bulls at $8000 and $4000.

Dhuramein Nominees through Rodwells Deniliquin paid $5000 for an impressive Days bull, while Kalnee Park Poll Hereford stud, Wellington got an absolute bargain, picking up Days Warrant J53 for just $4500 to round out the NSW buyers.

Barclay Dowling, representing Crawford Dowling was the buying agent for Craig Trickey, Coryule Pastoral Co, Willowvale who paid $8500 and $9000 for two top Days bulls.

While the top end prices highlight the stand-out individual bulls and buyers, the most important contributors to the overall sale result were Lachie and Paddy Weir, Todd River Pastoral Co, via Alice Springs. With their Elders Alice Springs agent, the legendary Herb Neville bidding on the phone to Elders Kingston’s Nick Downward, they purchased 15 bulls in total; seven of these coming from the Days draft. They were primarily responsible for the strength of the middle ground in this sale, pushing many more bulls to $5000 while paying from $3000 to $5000 and averaging $4067 for their purchases.

Also operating through the Elders Alice Springs office, but there in person, was Donny Costello, Lilla Creek Station. He purchased three bulls from $3000 to $5500, two coming from the Days draft.

Long-time volume supporters of this sale, GA Young & Sons, Kalangadoo and Naracoorte and represented by John Young, were again significant bidders. Operating through Landmark, Millicent John purchased five bulls from $3000 to $4500 and at a $4000 average for their EU and Jap Ox steer breeding enterprise.

Shiloh Park, Mt Gambier and buying through Ray White Keatley, Mt Gambier was another strong repeat buyer, paying $8000 for a Days bull.

Other prominent buyers with 2 bulls each from Days were; Mahkwalloh East Pastoral Co, Stockyard Hill, Vic ($6000 and $3000); Richard Morgan, Ballyrogan, Vic ($5000 and $4000); & Dinwooly Farm, Merino, Vic ($3000 and $3500).