Full brothers to record breaker turn heads at Granite Ridge spring sale

Three embryo transfer full flush brothers to Granite Ridge Angus stud's SA all breeds record priced bull helped lift the average at the stud's spring bull sale at Reedy Creek.

Earlier in the year at the stud's February sale, Granite Ridge Velocity V42, made headlines selling to Sara Park at Glen Innes, NSW, for $235,000, so it was no surprise that the same proven pedigree should be highly sought after again.

Lot 4, Granite Ridge Valor V579, was the first of the trio - sired by Landfall Lorenzo R1470 and out of Granite Ridge Wilcoola J177 - to go under the hammer.

The September 2024 drop, which weighed 908 kilogram and had an eye muscle area scan of 125 square centimetres, topped SA's only spring bull sale at $16,000.

Two lots later, lot 6, Granite Ridge Valor V468, which had an intramuscular fat EBV of +5.2 - in the top 10 per cent of the breed- made $13,000. The bull which was a few weeks younger than lo 4 tipped the scales at 910kg and had a 126cm2EMA.

Roger Smith, Orwell Rocks Angus stud, Port MacDonnell was the successful buyer of both lot 4 and lot 6 and noted that they were a very similar type.

"If you put those two bulls beside each other they are like peas in a pod. I didn't know which one to buy so I bought them both," he said.

"They are sound legged and good feet, it is pretty wet at Port MacDonnell and Mumbannar where I sell a fair few bulls so structure is so important."

Orwell Rocks stud has been buying at Granite Ridge for several years with Mr Smith good friends with stud principal Scott Finlay.

"You get what you see, they don't fall apart. They are very good, sound bulls," Mr Smith said.

The other full brother in the catalogue to Velocity was lot 7, Granite Ridge Valor V462, which sold for $12,000 to JE&LR Gosse, Penola.

In a total clearance, 34 rising two year old bulls averaged $8471- a lift of $685 on 2025's spring sale when 28 of 34 bulls found homes.

The sale's volume buyers were Woodstock Partners, Lucindale, with four bulls averaging $7000 and Fleece Co, Conmurra, also with four at $6000 each.

While 10 bulls made $10,000 or more there was some great buying at $6000 to $8000.

Mr Finlay said it was pleasing to see the biggest crowd they have seen at a spring sale with nearly as many registered bidders from the Fleurieu Peninsula, South East and western Victoria as bulls on offer.

"It is certainly starting to get a bit of traction from year to year with the numbers and attendance and clearance levels and with the way the industry is going it is all looking pretty good," he said.

Mr Finlay was also pleased with their progress since buying Granite Ridge stud in 2019 and said their clients and the community had really got behind them.

"This my passion, I thoroughly enjoy getting up in the morning and getting into this and hearing about the success of clients are having," he said.

Elders southern livestock sales manager and auctioneer Laryn Gogel said their belief that there was enough demand for a spring bull sale was coming to fruition.

"To sell all 34 bulls and one extra is testament that there is a spring campaign that has a need," he said.

Mr Gogel said the bulls were "ticking a lot of boxes" being moderate framed, well fleshed with good birth to growth spreads and docile temperaments.

"Is it absolutely right? no but there is a hell of a program in the making.

"There are a lot of interesting females in the campaign that they just have to find the right sires to complement them, but today shows that these guys are on the right track.

"They are the sort of modern day cattle out there that are functional and will put kilograms on a hook."

Granite Ridge also had on display 50 PTIC Angus heifers which were offered on AuctionsPlus in the Eastern States Cattle Sale the following day.