Bidding wars for the pick of the litter drive up sales at Bannaby Angus
Pictures by Dakota Tait.
Serious competition for the top flight of sires led bidding to a strong top price and a close second at the 2026 Bannaby Angus sale.
The stud's 16th on-property sale recorded a top price and average similar to the year before, where repeat buyers made their mark.
At the fall of the hammer, 63 of 85 bulls were sold to a top of $26,000 and at an average of $9666 at Taralga on Friday 14 August, including numerous sons of Milwillah Sergeant S791 and Alpine 38 Special S021.
Top-priced bull, Bannaby 38 Special V122 was by Alpine 38 Special S021 from Bannaby Bara T454, sold to Bruce and Georgina Eglesfield, on behalf of Philippa Thompson, Limekilns Pastoral Company, Palmers Oaky, near Lithgow.
The third lot offered, the 914 kilogram bull was in the top two per cent for 600 day weight at +161 and the top 3pc for gestation length at -9.8.
Mr Eglesfield, the manager for Ms Thompson's operation, said he picked out the bull at an open day two weeks before the sale.
The commercial cattle operation has 650 breeding cows, sending some calves to the Carcoar weaner sales and others to the feedlot.
"He's quite a stylish bull, he's got great feet, good skin and a good set of numbers to go with him," he said.
"We're going to class up our better cows and he can get the pick for sure."
Bannaby Real Deal V290, by Alpine Real Deal R163 from Witherswood Wilcoola L0339, achieved the second top price, sold for $24,000 to Nigel Main, Benvenue Angus, Westbrook, near Singleton.
The 912kg, September 2024-drop bull was noted for his impressive growth, landing in the top 10pc for 200, 400 and a 600 day weight in the top 3pc at +159.
Mr Main said he would use Real Deal V290 in a spring artificial insemination program over both his commercial and stud herds, where he runs around 750 cows between his own and the family operation, as well as 50 stud breeders.
He also bought the following lot, Bannaby L519 V249, by Rennylea L519 out of Wattletop Robe N29, for $16,000.
"They're very well-presented bulls, lovely temperaments, nice, balanced EBVs," he said.
"[Real Deal V290], the bull matches his data."
Nutrien Studstock's Matt Campion said the top end of the sale had been "chased very strongly", with a mix of return and new clients in the buying gallery.
"We've seen a lot of districts lose a lot of cows," he said.
"Clearance rates are the key this year, obviously, with such a sell-off of cow numbers."
Elder's Ryan Bajada, Bairnsdale, said the sale started off strong before losing some buying steam, due in part to an increased offering year-on-year.
The sale was the first off the rank for the southern bull-selling season, he said, but buyers in the north had also been selective so far.
"Season's been quite good here in the south, ... so on track for a really good spring," he said.
"Hopefully producers are ready to get out there and buy the bulls they want and need."
Volume buyer Benjamin Gooch, Mt David Agriculture, Mount David and Rockley, took home 12 bulls at an average of $11,167 and to a top of $18,000.
The new bulls would get straight to work on the operation's 2000 breeding cows, which turns off weaners through the yards at Carcoar.
Mr Gooch said he managed to pick up all the bulls he had his eye on, with Bannaby Sergeant V263 and the Bannaby Rembrandt V286 the standouts.
"Probably bought a couple more than we should have, but too good a money to pass them up and leave them here," he said.
Bannaby Angus principal Keith Kerridge said several sons of the $190,000 Milwillah Sergeant S791, who was fatally injured soon after purchase, were carrying on his legacy in the catalogue.
The bulls were grass-fed in the leadup to the sale, he said, though stock taken to the stud's Bendick Murrell property, where the season had been more favourable, were likely 100kg heavier than those grazed solely at Taralga.
"The main thing is really no feeding, apart from silage, so no nuts, no grain," he said.
"There are bulls over 1000kg there, basically off pasture."
JL Fisher, Goulburn, took home three bulls at an average of $13,333 and to a top of $16,000.
Leemaco Investments bought three lots at an average of $10,667 and to a top of $14,000.
Landmark Bathurst also purchased three bulls, at an average of $9333 and to a top of $10,000, as did JA and MA Coles, all for $6000.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien and Elders, with auctioneers Matt Campion, Nutrien Studstock, and Ryan Bajada, Elders Studstock, and interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
