Southern NSW studs open their gates as The Land Beef Week begins
Studs throughout southern NSW will open their gates this week as part of the 2025 The Land Southern Beef Week.
Day one of this year's event will feature studs located in the eastern Riverina, while day two spans the South West Slopes.
On day three, the event will head to the Central West to incorporate properties around Dubbo, Wellington and Mudgee, before moving on day four to studs between West Wyalong, Parkes, Cowra and Orange.
Day five includes the Central Tablelands, while the final day will involve properties located from the Southern Highlands to the Monaro.
Take note on day one Maronlea Shorthorns and composite, Morven, have withdrawn from the event.
The studs participating on the first day include:
Raff Angus - Book Book
After a 10-year hiatus from the mainland based in King Island, Andrew and Anna Raff, and the team at Raff Angus, recently purchased Brooklyn West, Book Book, near Wagga Wagga.
This year, celebrating their 60th year of breeding Angus cattle, Raff Angus will have on display some of the operation's mature females with calves, stud sires, show heifers and some of the program's elite donor females.
Sire lines represented throughout the draft of sale bulls include not only sons of homebred sensation Raff Rockstar R564, but also some of the earliest sons to sell by leading Australian Semen Sire Paringa Statesman S115. High-performance International sires EG Eyes On You and Ellingson Three Rivers will also have sons on display.
Yavenvale Herefords - Borambola
Based near Wagga Wagga at Borambola, James, Pat and Nikki Pearce will have their bulls available in the stud third spring sale on inspection.
James Pearce said, although it may be clich├®, this year's offering were the most even line of bulls the operation has presented in their spring sale.
Sire lines on display include from the United States, TH Masterplan 183F, KCF Bennett Resolve G595, as well as New Zealand sires Limehills Stellar 200311, Orari Gorge Quantum, along with some homebred sires Yavenvale Qudos Q367, Yavenvale Romeo R055.
Wirruna Poll Herefords - Holbrook
Wirruna Poll Herefords, Holbrook, will offer 70 Poll Hereford bulls, as well as 31 females in the Locke family's upcoming spring bull and female sale on August 28.
All of the 2022 drop calves at Wirruna have averaged in the top 25 per cent of the breed for calving ease, while their early growth rates have averaged in the top 20pc.
Some of the sire lines on display throughout the draft of bulls include US sire Churchill Red Thunder, New Zealand sire Limehills Starter 160062, along with Australian sires Tobruk Southern Cross S15, Quamby Plains Rival R629, as well as homebred sires including Wirruna Smokin' Joe, who was the top price bull of the studs 2024 autumn sale, and was purchased by Bendoc Poll Herefords, Delegate for $42,000.
Hicks Beef - Holbrook
For inspection, the Hicks Beef team, Holbrook, will have some of their 98 sale bulls available throughout the duration of the first day of beef week.
The stud has focused on the program's breeding objectives and selected the top dams and sires to take the program to the next level, leaving no sentiment in the decision-making process, allowing them to present the highest indexing bulls they have ever offered.
This year, the entire sale team averaged in the top 10 per cent for API index, marbling, and calving ease.
The Glen Pastoral - Walwa
Mike and Joy Gadd, The Glen Pastoral, Walwa, will offer 66 bulls in their 55th on-property sale Friday September 5, with sons of Baldridge Vertsitile, The Glen Keystone R123 and Sterling Pacific 904 on offer.
The Glen strive to produce functional females with calving ease, yet produce progeny that will efficiently perform on grass to reach saleable weights by 18-months-old.
