Brilliant Belmore Shorthorn bull sale boosted by big pastoral orders
Pastoral positivity was the undeniable force behind a much improved Belmore Shorthorn bull sale at Wild Dog Valley on Thursday last week.
The stud of Andy and Ali Withers, north of Naracoorte, sold 30 of 32 bulls offered to a high of $16,000 on three occasions and averaged $10,967.
This was a marked increase on 2025, when 19 of 31 bulls offered sold to $12,000, for a $7052 average.
Much of the improvement was attributed to the buoyant seasonal conditions being experienced by a couple of major pastoral clients.
This included Billa Kalina Pastoral Co, who run 2000 Shorthorn cows 140 kilometres north west of Roxby Downs at Billa Kalina Station.
Billa Kalina's Col Greenfield was in attendance, buying 13 bulls at an $11,384 average. This included one of the three sale toppers at $16,000.
Lot 27, the July 2024-drop red-coated Exmoor Rawhide V195, weighed in at 704 kilograms, with a eye muscle area of 126 square centimetres, rib fat of 10 millimetres, rump fat of 10mm, marbling percentage of 5.4 per cent, and scrotal circumference of 37 centimetres.
Billa Kalina bought 18 Shorthorn bulls in total during two days in the South East.
Mr Greenfield said 140 millimetres of rain through February and March to date had completely changed their year.
"We're having an exceptional year now. We were actually about to destock (prior to the rain) so this will allow us to hold our numbers," he said.
"If it hadn't of rained we wouldn't have bought any bulls it was that dry."
A long-term client of Belmore, Mr Greenfield rates the bulls' survivability and doability, saying they suit their country.
The other $16,000 purchases came at lot 4 through AuctionsPlus to a Vic buyer, and at lot 6, to Dalwoodman Pastoral.
Nick and Amy Pollard farm across country at Wentworth, NSW, and Keith, with their two purchases heading to the Upper South East property.
With feed "well and truly up" at Wentworth, the Pollards are enthused about what the season will bring.
Their $16,000 purchase, Belmore Tiger Moth V49, was sired by Yamburgan Tiger Moth Q172 and out of Belmore Keepsake Q85.
The April 2024-drop roan-coated bull weighed in at 820kg and was rated highly with a low birthweight (33kg) and its calving ease potential.
It also boasted a 132 sqcm EMA, 10mm rib fat, 11mm rump fat, 6.2pc marbling percentage and a 40cm scrotal circumference.
Other buyers that contributed to Belmore's strong result included Cowarie Pastoral Co, via Marree, with five bulls to $12,000, averaging $7200, and GM Butler & Sons, Lochaber, with three bulls to $11,000, averaging $8333.
While the strong beef job was a good underpinning factor in Belmore's improved sale, principal Andy Withers said the biggest factors were seasonal conditions and the return of pastoral buyers.
"The pastoral clients can look ahead and know they have water and the grass is coming, and that forced our local clients to match them," he said.
"The top bulls sold over that $10,000 mark one after the other. It was wonderful to have those top pens of bulls sell so well."
Nutrien and Elders were the selling agents, with Nutrien the duty agent.
