Tennysonvale’s Nathan, Jared, Ian and Carl Baldry with Brian Maher, Elders Stud Stock, Wagga, who purchased the top-price bull, Tennysonvale Merrick, on behalf of Reagan Burrow, Yerwal Estate, SA. Photo by The Land
By Shantelle Stephens, The Land
Repeat buyers underpinned the Baldry family’s fifth annual on-property Tennysonvale Simmental and Fleckvieh sale at Illabo where all 24 heifers offered sold for a $5000 average and a top of $8500 three times.
Twenty one bulls sold of the 28 offered to a top price of $10,500 and an average of $4952.
Tennysonvale Merrick, an 18-month-old polled Simmental Fleckvieh, topped the sale at $10,500 and was purchased by Reagan Burrow, Yerwal Estate Simmentals, Lucindale, South Australia.
Mr Burrow said Merrick offered a great out-cross of genetics from an exceptionally good dam line.
“With being a homozygous polled, he will compliment and strengthen the poll genetics in my existing stud program,” he said.
“His soundness and softness will compliment my program extremely well and offer future bull buyers in South Australia the opportunity to buy out-cross Polled Simmental Fleckvieh genetics,” Mr Burrow said.
Mr Burrow also paid $5250 for a stylish red, easy-doing heifer by Tennysonvale Hugo, who was 100pc polled and joined back to Barana Hagar in February.
Merrick was the first homozygous polled bull to be offered at the Tennysonvale sale with his presence and great temperament a credit, while weighing 838kg with a 116cm EMA and 41cm scrotal measurement.
Nathan Baldry said the family was happy with the overall sale, describing the females as the best line-up in their sale history.
“We have always maintained that we sell our best and these females are no exception,” he said.
Equal top-priced heifer, Tennysonvale Myma, Tennysonvale’s Carl Baldry with Ray and Brent Pepper, Coolamount Fleckvieh, Numbaa.
“Our bulls were easy going and we were very happy with this year’s selection. We offered our first nine homozygous polled bulls which we were very excited about,” Mr Baldry said
Mel Sambrook, “Brooklea Park, Eumungerie, Tennysonvale’s Nathan Baldry with equal top-priced heifer, Tennysonvale Mina. Photo by The Land
The top-price heifer, Tennysonvale Myma, was junior, grand and supreme exhibit at Canberra Royal before topping the heifer draft at the sale at $8500, and was purchased by Coolamount Fleckviehs, Numbaa
Matched but not beaten Tennysonvale Martina, the reserve junior champion at Canberra Royal, was purchased by Beaumont and Lowe, Dorrigo, who also put together another three averaging $5688.
Mel Sambrook, “Brooklea Park, Eumungerie, Tennysonvale’s Nathan Baldry with equal top-priced heifer, Tennysonvale Mina.
Tennysonvale Mina also topped the heifer market at $8500 and was purchased by Mel Sambrook, “Brooklea Park”, Eumungerie.
Leading the volume buyers was first-time buyer, Antony Simonetta, Sutton Forest, who put together a draft of eight heifers to add to their commercial breeding herd, paying to a top of $5250 and averaging $4281.
Long-time supporter of the Tennysonvale stud, Graeme Smith, Warrowie Simmentals, Colac, Victoria, purchased three heifers for a $5750 average and two bulls averaging $5500.
Mr Smith said he had been purchasing Tennysonvale genetics for over 15 years and over those years he had purchased more than 70 head.
“I run both commercial and stud cattle and my purchases will be to both improve my commercial and stud herds,” he said.
“They all had great confirmation with strong red colouring and plenty of power and performance in their breeding” Mr Smith said.
Other buyers at the sale included Steve Tyson, Wagga Wagga, through Elders Wagga, paid to a top of $4500 for two heifers, averaging $4375, while J and T Dumma, “Emoh Ruo”, May Downs, Qld, paid $4000 and $5500 for two new sires and Brett Nobbs, Nobbs Cattle Company, Duaringa, Qld, selected a poll new sire for $5500 by the Mallee Hector sire.
Grant Daniel Long agent, Mark Duthie, Dalby, Qld, used the Elite Livestock Auction platform to buy three bulls to a top of $5500, to average $4917, with 50 per cent of the registrations coming from the online platform, and fellow stud breeders, David and Tara Brewer, Brewer Simmentals, Koetong, Vic, and Hilltop Simmentals,The Sisters, Vic, paid $5500 and $4000 respectively for new sires.
The sale was conducted by Elders, Wagga Wagga and was interfaced with Elite Livestock Auctions with Joe Wilks, Elders Wagga Wagga, taking control of the bidding on the day.