Well-known NSW stud secures top Quamby Plains Hereford bull for whopper price

A well-known NSW Hereford stud secured the top-priced bull at the Quamby Plains Poll Hereford annual bull sale at Hagley, Tas, on Monday.

The bull, Lot 1, sizzled to a high of $29,000 at the sale and was sold online to Jock Nivison, Yalgoo Genetics, Walcha, NSW.

The sale topper, Quamby Plains Ultimate U640, was sired by KCF Bennett Resolve G595 and out of Quamby Plains Qual Q406.

The August-drop bull recorded Hereford Group Breedplan estimated breeding values of 7.4 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of 0.7 kilograms, 200-day weight of 41kg, 400-day weight of 75kg and 600-day weight of 100kg.

Quamby Plains stud principal Victoria Archer said she thought the bull would be in the top three at the sale but never expected it to make such a price.

Ms Archer said Mr Nivison was a first-time client and she described the sale to his NSW operation as "very exciting".

She said he had "done his homework" on the bull before the sale.

Ms Archer said the sale topper had an excellent carcase and was very docile, with the figures to match.

Lot 1 was one of six bulls bought at the sale for stud use, five of which headed across the Bass Strait to Victoria and NSW.

The stud's strong repeat commercial client base picked up the rest, with King Island, Tas, and Flinders Island, Tas, buyers particularly active.

Overall, the stud sold 43 bulls from the 57 offered for an average of $7348 and to the top of $29,000.

This compared to the 2024 sale which saw 43 bulls sold from the 53 offered for an average of $8140 and to a top of $20,000.

Other stud buyers included Karoonda Park Poll Herefords, Gelantipy, which bought Lot 5, Quamby Plains Utopia U695, for $8000.

Ennerdale Herefords, Dundonnell, bought Lot 21, Quamby Plains Ultra U661, for $11,000.

Yavenvale Herefords, Adelong, NSW, picked up Lot 22, Quamby Plains Uncover U671, for $10,000.

The stud interest was wrapped up by Bahreenah Poll Herefords, Tingha, NSW, which bought Lot 50, Quamby Plains Umpire U830, for $8000.

While Ms Archer said it was good to see some of her top bulls go to fellow Hereford studs, it was the commercial buyers at the sale who really helped keep a floor under prices.

"It's really special when you get the same clients coming back," she said.

There were also some new commercial buyers at the sale, from all over Tasmania, who picked up bulls to run over Hereford and Angus cows, with a number looking to produce top-quality black baldy calves.

"We're just trying to produce a bull to improve the profit of our clients' businesses," she said.

"We're trying to focus on certain areas that we believe are profit drivers."

Nutrien Tasmania studstock agent Cooper Lamprey said this approach kept clients returning to the stud, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024, year after year.

"It was a very good sale, considering the conditions," he said.

"You have the data on Victoria's bulls and then the phenotype to go with it.

"They've been in the stud game a long time."