Texas Angus clears 300-plus bulls in milestone 90th year
To mark 90 years, Texas Angus, Warialda, held its largest bull sale to date, with more than 300 lots offered at the annual event on Thursday, July 30.
At the fall of the final hammer, the stud's 58th annual sale had303lots sold for afull clearance, with a top price of $55,000 and an average $14,019.
This included 238, two-year-old bulls, with the $55,000 top priceand an average of$13,905 and 65 yearlings sold to a top of $42,500 to average $12,577.
Last year 283 bulls averaged $16,233, with a top of $75,000 for Lot 48 Texas U-Cracker U983, purchased by Eungy Pastoral, Qld.
The $55,000 top price was paid for two-year-old Texas Velvet Touch V916 ET by LT Converse 8011 8011 and out of Texas Omnia R157, sold for $55,000 to Brad and Jackie Schultz Tower Hill Station, Muttaburra, Qld.
The July 2024-drop Angus bull weighed 962 kilograms with a 41 centimetre scrotal circumference.
The bull was noted as being a "very impressive, powerful" sire, with an EBV for calving ease (CED) of +91 - in the top 4pc, +26 for milk and +85 for carcase weight (CWT).
Tower Hill Station breed heavy feeder cattle, with about 1300 head on their place.
Mr Schultz said Velvet Touch stood out with in the pen with his "presence" and maternal traits.
"Those traits will help lift our cow herd," he said.
"We have been buying bulls here for 13 years and they're performing well in North Queensland conditions.
"These bulls allow us to get to it target weights quickly."
The top price bull was among the Schultzes' 11 lots for an average $14,545.
The second top price of $50,000 was achieved by Texas Venture Capital V948 ET, which was secured by Lynwood Pastoral Company.
Sired by Sydgen Bonus 8084 and out of Texas Omnia R259, the 1006kg bull had a scrotal circumference of 41cm with an EBV of +92 for CWT - in the top 5pc, +62 for 200-day-growth, +105 for 400-day-growth and +134 for 600-day.
Another standout lot was 764kg yearling bull Texas War Machine W0039 AI, which sold for $42,500 to Hatman Company.
The first of the yearling bulls into the ring, the January 2025-drop bull was sired by Texas Thunderstruck T383 and out of Texas Undine T64, with a scrotal circumference of 40cm, a birthweight EBV of +0.7 (top 5pc), +25 for milk and +95 for carcase weight (top 3pc), as well as rib fat and rump fat of +2.8 and +3.3 respectively.
Also selling at $42,500 was Texas Platinum V913, bought by Greenlands Pastoral Company, Ben Lomond.
The two-year-old son of Bellaspur Platinum P46, out of Texas Undine R151, weighed 952kg.
His EBVs included a 200-day growth of +67, 600-day of +157, mature cow weight of +157 and carcase weight of +96 - all in the top 5pc - as well as 400-day growth of +115, in the top 7pc.
The stud began in 1936 by the Scottish Australian Company with one bull and 21 stud heifers.
Today the Mayne family run 1000 breeders, all of which trace back to the heifers imported nine decades ago.
This year's draft of bulls included 35 Deadwood sons, nine Iceman sons and the first sons of the $360,000 Thunderstruck sire.
The first Australian sons of US sires Schiefelbein Top Gin and Basin Jamieson were also offered.
Ben Mayne said it had been a challenging season - "one of the driest summers we've had for a while" - but they had prepared the bulls on a hay and tropical pastures so they could adapt to wherever they went.
Wendy Mayne said there was a strong commercial drive to their result, with a top of $55,000 and bulls selling at the base price of $6000.
"We were able to give our clients a range of opportunity to come and get the bull they wanted," she said.
"Where we are located right now it is really touch and go and Queensland was dominant.
"We didn't have our usual local clients - it has been really rough for them - so we are grateful for the Qld support."
Mrs Mayne commented on the 90-year milestone of the stud.
"It's an amazing achievement to have a stud as old as this and all the bulls originating from 21 heifers," she said.
Among the volume buyers were Mick and Amanda Gittens, from west of Emerald, Qld.
This was their second year buying at Texas and they took home 10 bulls, bidding to $30,000 for an average $19,000.
"The bulls we were looking for were heifer bulls and mature bulls," Mr Gittens said.
"We wanted high growth bulls with commercial focus.
"For us where we sit now, this is an investment in the future of our cattle and our end goal and today was a big step forward in doing that."
Tieyon Pastoral, Alice Springs, NT, selected 12 bulls to $24,000, averaging $16,333.
Kennedy Livestock, Lisnalee Station, Tambo, Qld, paid to $14,000 and an average $10,545 for 11 bulls.
The selling agents were GDL and BJA. The auctioneers were Wayne York, Mark Duthie and Josh Heck.
AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.
More to come
