Reiland Angus raises the bar at $25,000 for elite females

1. Commercial breeders Graham and Judy Houston, Houston Pastoral, Burrowye, outlaid $25,000 for Reiland Braebell J563. The cow was joined to SS Brickyard and will be used in an elite bull breeding nucleus in the 3000-cow herd at Houston Pastoral.

New Angus breeders and large commercial herds competed on elite female genetics to a top of $25,000 at the Reiland Angus “Raise the Bar” sale at Tumut on February 11.

Interest in the one-off female sale had been strong with 2500 views of the online catalogue and strong bidding via AuctionsPlus on the day.

The Raise the Bar sale was hosted by the Lucas family at Killimicat Station, Tumut, and celebrated the Reiland stud’s 50^th anniversary.

In the sale breakdown, 20 mature three-in-one units topped at $18,000 and averaged $11,100; 12 spring calving three-in-one heifers topped at $24,000 and averaged $10,458; and 5 pregnancy-tested-in calf autumn calving heifers topped at $25,000 and averaged $9500.

A total of 11 autumn calving pregnancy-tested-in-calf topped at $23,000 and averaged $9863; 20 Angus spring calving PTIC heifers topped at $22,000 and averaged $9375; 3 Angus Performance Recorded PTIC heifers topped at $6000 and averaged $5500; and six Angus weaner heifers topped at $5000 and averaged $4416.

In the genetic lots, embryo packages topped at $12,800 and averaged $11,000 while semen lots topped at $1300 per 20 straws.

Overall, 83 lots sold from the 95 offered for a 92 per cent clearance and average of $9282.

Graham and Judy Houston, Houston Pastoral, Burrowye, outlaid $25,000 for Lot 9, Reiland Braebell J563, a 2013 drop cow joined to US sire SS Brickyard. Her BREEDPLAN figures included +3kg for birthweight, +117kg for 600-day weight, +7.4sqcm for eye muscle area, and +2.8 for intramuscular fat.

They also paid $2300 per embryo for a package flushed from Braebell and joined to Sterling Pacific 904.

Describing the sale as “red hot”, Mr Houston said Braebell would be used in an elite bull breeding nucleus for the 3000-cow Reiland Angus blood herd at Houston Pastoral.

He said the top price female as a prolific breeder with a big, solid frame and ideal BREEDPLAN figures for birthweight, growth, calving ease and intramuscular fat.

“The cow and embryos will be used to produce back up bulls for our herd,” Mr Houston said.

The second top price came in the spring first calf heifers with calves and rejoined again.

Keith Hay, GeneFlow, Deniliquin, paid $24,000 for Lot 67 Reiland Gisborne Q959. Sired by Reiland Kelp K318, the heifer had a heifer calf, Reiland Gisbourne S627, sired by Reiland Plymouth P960 and was joined to Reiland Pirelli P913.

In the autumn calving PTIC heifers, Mr Hay backed up to pay $23,000 for Lot 39 Reiland Nicky R183, a daughter of Strathewen Genetic J49 M02, and was joined to Reiland Plymouth P960.

Mr Hay then paid the top price of $22,000 in the spring calving heifers for Lot 73 Reiland Patellan R477, a daughter of KO Proceed P79 joined to Reiland Plymouth P960.

N & J Umback, Cooma, paid the top price of $18,000 in the rejoined mature cows and calves for Lot 7 Reiland Kaharau N939, her heifer calf by Strathewen Regent E23 H70 and her joining to Ayrvale Quad Q9.

Reiland Angus co-principal Mark Lucas was elated with the outcome, saying there was significant stud interest from South Australia, NSW and Queensland in the top price cow.

“This reliable donor dam would not normally be offered but we wanted to put a supreme lot in the one-off 50-year sale,” Mr Lucas said.

“The overall sale average was beyond our expectation, and it represented superbly good buying within each category.

“I was proud to see how those calves on the young first calf heifers were shaping up given they had no special preparation.

“Houston Pastoral saw the sale as an opportunity to buy a proven donor and embryos to put into their young cows to produce offspring.”

Mr Lucas said the PTIC heifers sold well above what was expected, and he thanked all bidders in the sale bar and those on AuctionsPlus for their support.

Nick Gilvarry, Elders Tumut/Adelong, said it was good to see stud cattle going to many first-time buyers.

This included Andrew Atkins, North Richmond, and Brian Bey, Bey Livestock, Camden, both buying foundation females for their new studs.

Andrew paid to a top of $10,000 for five lots and Brian paid to a top of $8000 for three lots.

Among the volume buyers were Chris Garvin and Steve Goldsack, Trowbridge BBB Angus, Cudal, NSW, with six lots to a top of $15,000.

Mr Garvin said it was the first Reiland genetics introduced to their herd although the Trowbridge BBB genetics had been used by Reiland in the past.

He said they were seeking quality cow and calf units to build their herd numbers.

Tim and Jessica Scott, Table Top Angus, Albury, bought four lots to a top of $15,000 for Reiland Liz P947 with a heifer calf and rejoined to Reiland Rosewood R290.

Other volume buyers included Brian Powell, Yamba Angus, Belgravia, with five lots to $13,000 and genetics package for $1300; Ben Griffiths, Tyro Industries, Fitzroy Falls, five lots to $10,000; Tony Starr with two lots to a top of $18,000; Malcolm Ney Earthmoving, Dubbo, two lots to $14,000 and Amy Taprell two lots to $10,000.