Leawood Angus achieves total clearance as Gippsland graziers compete

Pictures by Bryce Eishold

Four Gippsland graziers who run considerable commercial herds have purchased the top-priced bulls at Leawood Angus' autumn on-property bull sale.

The Stuckey family of Leawood Angus, Flynn, recorded a total clearance of 44 Angus bulls at auction to a top price of $18,000 four times, and an average of $10,981.

In 2025, the stud sold 40 of 44 bulls for an average of $9000 and top of $18,000.

Leawood Angus stud co-principal Luke Stuckey said the sale was a "positive result" amid high fuel prices and varied seasonal conditions faced by clients.

"It was definitely not what we were expecting, we thought it might have been a tougher day, but we were absolutely pleased and it's a testament to the amount of work and where our operation is heading," he said.

"We expected the crowd to be down due to the uncertain times, but I guess it highlights that once people know what they want, they are prepared to buy the bulls they pick out."

Mr Stuckey said the four top-priced bulls featured a number of similar characteristics.

"They are very consistent, they aren't huge bulls, but they are moderate-framed bulls with lots of muscle and lots of capacity and they are all going within about 50 kilometres of our operation," he said.

He said fewer bulls were bought by clients in South Gippsland, a sign of dry seasonal conditions in that region, while many bulls went east of Traralgon, including to places like Bairnsdale and Buchan.

He said the family had concentrated its efforts on the stud side of its business in the last 12 months, opting to reduce their commercial herd size from 750 breeders to 550 cows this year.

He said the stud placed more emphasis on the appearance and doing-ability of their bulls, and concentrated less on the dataset of the individual lots.

"If you want bulls with good estimated breeding values (EBVs), then you probably wouldn't come to Leawood," he said.

"We are a bit left of field when it comes to data ... we are big on phenotype and breeding bulls that we like to look at and we know they do the job for our clients because they keep coming back.

"We have EBVs and we use them, but we don't focus on them too much."

The first top-priced bull, Lot 2, Leawood Ryder V521, was bought by Phelan & Henderson & Co director David Phelan, Yarram, for $18,000 on behalf of clients, Kevin Opray and Maree Avery, Hedley.

It was not the first time the pair had bought the top-priced bull, taking the honours in the stud's 2025 sale, plus both its spring and autumn sales in 2023.

The 836-kilogram, August 2024-drop bull was sired by Leawood Pirate P391 and out of Leawood Basin P350.

The second $18,000 bull, Lot 4, Leawood Pandemic V403, was bought by Ayden Garrett, High Voltage Consultancy, Traralgon.

The 850kg, August 2024-drop bull was sired by Cricklewood Pandemic P056 and out of Leawood Vanilla P330.

Cricklewood Pandemic P056 was described by Leawood as a "powerhouse sire renowned for adding carcase strength and consistency".

The sire led the stud's autumn 2025 sale, with eight sons averaging $14,000.

Mr Garrett, who runs a 400-head Angus herd split between autumn and spring calving, said it was the eighth bull he had purchased from the Stuckey family in recent years.

"We mostly sell our cattle as feeder steers at 14-16 months and really liked Lot 4 because of his structural correctness, temperament and soft skin," he said.

The third $18,000 bull, Lot 12, Leawood Ryder V462, was bought by Gavin Missen, BM & GH Missen, Woodside.

The 822kg, July 2024-drop bull was sired by Leawood Ryder R453 and out of Leawood Pinesong Q516.

"There were several bulls I was interested in, but I couldn't buy them because their bloodlines were related to the two bulls I bought here at Leawood last year," Mr Missen said.

"He's a nice, square bull with good figures including rump, rib, eye muscle area (EMA), intramuscular fat (IMF) and birth weight, and he will be suited to either my heifers or cows when I join him later this year."

Lot 12 recorded EBVs including a birth weight of 35kg, a rump of 12 millimetres, a rib of 12mm, an IMF of 6.4 per cent and EMA of 120 square centimetres.

Mr Missen runs a herd of 80-90 breeding Angus females, a flock of 2000 Merino sheep and 150 fat lambs.

The fourth bull to fetch $18,000 was Lot 29, Leawood Qube V262, and was bought by Richard and Thea Crooke, Holey Plain, Rosedale.

Mr Crooke, who bought three bulls at the sale, said Lot 29 would be used as a heifer bull.

"I picked that bull as a suitable bull for my operation, but in saying that, all the bulls are extremely even and consistent here at Leawood," he said.

"We run an Angus herd of 500-600 cows and sell most of our cattle directly to feedlots when they hit 450-500kg liveweight."

Lot 29 was a 768kg, July 2024-drop bull sired by Leawood Qube Q272 and out of Leawood Anenome T304.

A vast majority of the bulls were knocked down to clients in the Nutrien network, including from those branches at Leongatha, Sale and Bairnsdale.

Among some of the other buyers at the 45-minute auction was Buchan Back Creek, Buchan, who bought Lot 3 for $15,000 and Lot 20 for $12,000.

Dollar Angus, Casterton, bought Lot 11 for $16,000, while Koyuga Downs Pastoral, Willow Grove, bought two bulls, including Lot 16 for $11,000 and Lot 48 for $8000.

Chris and Mary Wheeler, Buchan South, bought two bulls, including Lot 7 for $14,000 and Lot 27 for $11,000.