'Blown away': the data that drove this Tasmanian bull to a $102,000 record

A Quamby Plains Poll Hereford bull flew all the way to $102,000 at the well-known Tasmanian stud's annual on-property sale on Thursday.

The bull, Lot 8, Quamby Plains Voltage V110, was picked up by Glendan Park Hereford stud, Kyneton, in partnership with Tarcombe Hereford stud, Ruffy, for the sizable sum.

The price beats the former $82,000 record paid for a Hereford bull in Tasmania, which was set by Quamby Plains at its 2022 sale.

That bull, Quamby Plains Royalty R264, was also bought by Glendan Park.

The 2026 sale-topper was sired by Matariki Nautical IMP NZL and out of Quamby Plains Jessie R782.

The August 2024-drop bull weighed 752 kilograms and recorded Hereford Breedplan figures of +7.3 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of +1.5kg, 200-day weight of +36kg, 400-day weight of +64kg and 600-day weight of +84kg.

The bull also had an intramuscular fat of +3 per cent, which ranks in the top 1pc of the breed.

Quamby Plains stud principal Victoria Archer, Hagley, Tas, said she was "absolutely blown away" by the price secured for Lot 8.

"We didn't expect a result like that," she said.

"We always thought highly of him but you never know."

Ms Archer said the bull had excellent figures and "lovely depth of hindquarters".

She said the sale-topper was a very deep, soft-coated bull with "great thickness" and a beautiful coat.

Glendan Park stud co-principal Alicia Trovatello said the stud's team was "really happy" with the purchase.

"We were just really impressed with his style and muscle," she said.

Ms Trovatello said the bull's figures were reflected in his phenotype, and he was the type of sire to bring the Hereford breed forward.

She said the bull would be joined with Glendan Park females for the autumn and then head to Tarcombe for their spring joining.

"We've got a few cows that we think will click with him," she said.

Glendan Park has bought several Quamby Plains bulls in recent years and Ms Trovatello said the stud's genetics were an "excellent" outcross to their own.

"We've been really happy with them," she said.

Quamby Plains retained semen from the sale-topper for use within its own herd.

Overall, the stud sold 55 bulls from the 58 offered for an average of $11,273.

This compares to the stud's 2025 sale where it sold 43 bulls from 57 offered for an average of $7348 and to a top of $29,000.

Nutrien auctioneer Warren Johnston said the stud offered a "great run of bulls" to its loyal commercial and stud client base.

Mr Johnston said bulls were sold to local Tasmanian buyers as well as to King Island, Tas, Flinders Island, Tas, Victoria, NSW and South Australia.

He said the top-priced bull's figures were "off the charts", but there was consistency throughout the sale, reflected in the strong clearance.

Ms Archer said her team had focused on breeding bulls with excellent structure and temperament, and on improving the profitability of her commercial clients.

"We've got a consistent line of bulls with good depth, shape and softness," she said.

Tim Woodham, Nutrien, said "years of hard work" by the Quamby Plains team resulted in the strong sale.

Mr Woodham said the stud was data driven without compromising on phenotype.

He said the Quamby Plains cattle had a strong commercial background, which drew commercial buyers and stud buyers looking to breed similarly impressive stock.