On property record now Untouchable as Clunie Range bulls go far and wide

It was a long way from Caxton Street and Lang Park, but it could have been a Queenslander day at Clunie Range Angus sale, with 114 of the 201 bulls going north of the state border.

But that wasn't the biggest highlight. A combination team of one Victorian stud, two New Zealand, and one South Australian, who dug deep to pay $300,000 for Clunie Range Untouchable U441, a 30-month-old who Clunie Range had already used.

In the two-year-old catalogue, 182 two-year-old bulls, including the sale topper, averaged $15,522, while 19 yearling bulls sold to $22,000, averaging $13,789. Overall, 201 bulls sold to a 100 per cent clearance, averaged $15,358 for a sale gross of $3,087,000.

The 902-kilogram bull, sired by Clunie Range Plantation P392 and out of Clunie Range Barunah Q309, sold to the Five Way Syndicate, which was working under the coaching of Victorian livestock consultant Dick Whale, who had decided the bull was possibly the soundest investment in the national Angus herd.

Clunie Range Untouchable U441 had several top estimated breeding values, including +4.6 scrotal size, which sat in the top three per cent of the breed.

The bull also displayed growth EBVs of +61 200-day, +110 400-day and +140 600-day weights, but it was his type and breeding that Clunie Range believed would make him a genuine stud sire.

Mr Whale said the syndicate included Featherstone Angus, Warragul, Victoria, Damian Gommers', Mandayen Angus and Limousin stud, Keith, South Australia, and from across the Tasman, Twin Oaks Angus, Waikato, Ranui Angus, Wanganui, with STgenetics Australia beef, making up the fifth arm of the syndicate.

Mr Whale first saw the bull one year ago and said he talked Clunie Range principal, Brett Guest, into putting U441 in the sale.

"There are not many two-and-a-half-year-old bulls offered in Australia," Mr Whale said.

"We bought the bull because of its outstanding structure and temperament.

"It's tough to find that, with very acceptable data."

Mr Whale said the syndicate hoped they wouldn't have to pay that much for the bull.

"The losing bidder, I think, was, unfortunately, another client of mine in Glenavon Angus, Guyra, but that's what happens in businesses," he said.

"We're delighted with the bull, and I'm sure the structure and temperament just can't be faulted, and a lot of people had seen the bull, and obviously a lot of people competed on the bull, and it was because of that structured temperament and good data.

"He's an average EMA (eye muscle area) bull, but his sire, Plantation P392, was a low EMA bull.

"His structure is in the top 10 per cent for both claw and angle, and he's in the top 15 or 20 per cent for IMF (intramuscular fat).

"He's not outstanding data, but he's good data, and I just think for the structural soundness, the mobility and temperament, we need more of this sort of bull."

The losing bidder was Richard Post, Glenavon Angus, Guyra, who is happy to heap superlatives on the bull, for which he bid $290,000.

"It wasn't planned to spend that much, it was that I thought so much of him," Mr Post said.

"His temperament and structure, I had to push him to get him moving in the pens.

"I scored his foot soundness at five for each foot; it was clear this was an elite bull."

The bull's moderate size won over Mr Post.

"I scored him at a 5.8 frame score, which is acceptable for a New England bull type. And he was a full outcross to our herd. He was about spot on for what I am trying to do," he said.

The next bull into the ring after U414 was the second top-priced bull, Clunie Range Up and Coming U467, 918kg, son of Dunoon Recharge R102, out of a Clunie Range Hurricane H555 female. It was bought by YoYo Trading, YoYo Park, Clara Creek, between Augathella and Morven, Qld.

Michael Smith, Adrigoole, Woodenbong, bought two bulls at $35,000.

Volume buyers from the north, west, east and south were the foundation to the full clearance.

Repeat buyers for many years were Drummond Slopes Cattle Company, Alpha, Qld, with 17 bulls ranging in price from $6000 to $30,000, averaging $19,294.

Other Alpha district producers included: Clews Cattle Company, five bulls to $26,000, averaging $23,600; Carruthers Pastoral Co, Wendouree Station, four averaging $9750; and Skye Cattle Co, Skye, three averaging $19,333.

The Schultz family, Thornton, Muttaburra bought four to $32,000, averaging $26,500, while the Statham family, Possession Creek, Mitchell, Qld, bought four bulls to $20,000, averaging $15,000.

The CJ Bethel Family Trust, Regald, Nebo, Qld, bought six bulls to $17,000, averaging $13,000, while Broadmere Grazing, Taroom, Qld, bought six bulls, averaging $10,833.

Ian Mulcay, Urbenville, bought nine bulls to $20,000, averaging $8777, while Navena Pastoral Company, Terry Hie Hie, bought six bulls to $15,000, averaging $9333.

The selling agents were Elders, with Michael Smith and Mark Scholes the auctioneers. AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.