A full clearance of 58 rising 2-year-old Charolais for a $17,414 average was topped by lot 1, Silverstream Viceray V226, selling to Rimu Charolais from Taumarunui.
Viceray, a son of Silverstream Rocco, now holds the new national record, trumping Silverstream’s previous $65,000 set in 2023 for Spectra.
That was shadowed by a new all-breed national record for an Angus bull of $168,000 set by Ward’s Taimate Angus.
Silverstream owners Brent and Anna Fisher also sold all 17 Hereford bulls at their Motukarara venue for an average of $15,529.
The top price was made by lot 68, Pute Valkyrie V66, selling for $23,000 to Shannon Station, Wairoa.
Southern studs made the most of high beef prices often finishing with full clearances, strong bidding and a flurry of stud records.
Mr Fisher said the under-bidders were understood to be a collection of studs from the North Island and had helped drive the price.
"It’s great for us and great for the breed. All of those studs involved have had a good run selling their own bulls and are just feeling a bit more confident and it all flows through."
He said the family had been in the stud business for a long time and while it was hard to get their head around today’s values, they reflected wider confidence in the industry.
"Prior to this year I don’t think our Herefords had ever averaged over $9500. A lot went to the big stations up around the East Coast of the North Island. A lot of those places have been very Angus dominant and there’s always been crossbreeding, but I think people recognise the value of the extra weight you get because the price per kilogram is so high."
Viceray’s earnings would go into the pot to cover breeding costs, including $25,000 to $30,000 for DNA testing.
The bull’s sire, Rocco, has been earning its keep with semen just sold to Australia.
The Fishers went halves with Rimu Charolais to buy the top-priced bull at Hemingford’s Charolais sale for $55,000.
Mt Somers stud, Okawa Polled Herefords, sold lot 2 to Arabica Herefords from Waikato for $64,000 and lot 6 to Grassmere Poll Hereford for $32,000 in a full clearance of just under 50 2-year-old bulls.
Owners Nick and Penny France were happy to set a new high price for the stud and the $11,643 average.
"We’ve had a couple of $60,000s," Mr France said.
"I just took a punt on a yearling bull with some Australian blood with some good old Kiwi [genetics]."
He said the bull had found a good home at Arabica Hereford’s Gavin and Tracy Herrick’s.
They had resisted the temptation to have a spend-up as they were happy with the way their programme was heading and the money would go into absorbing stud costs, he said.
He said their average meant it was within the price range of budgets set by commercial farmers and their managers on both sides of the Southern Alps.
"We sold two stud bulls and some really good bulls went to commercial homes so that was the most pleasing thing really. Those couple of stud bulls brought the average up."
Okawa bred towards a well-fleshed animal working in a commercial setting and able to flourish in the tough gullies and alpine valleys.
A higher average than past years reflected the prices farmers were getting for their calves and steers so they could reinvest in bulls, he said.
The Frances were just shaded out of the top Hereford price this season by Earnscleugh Herefords.
Earnscleugh Gunsmoke 244700 made $65,000 to set a stud record for the operation near Central Otago’s Alexandra. The bull went to Koanui Polled Herefords stud in Hawke’s Bay.
"It took us a long time to make the decision to put him up for sale."
The previous record price at his sale was $48,000 for an Angus bull and $28,000 for a Hereford bull.
Among other South Island results, Central Otago’s Limehills Polled Herefords’ top price of $50,000 set a stud record, averaging $14,392 and Clarence Valley’s Matariki Herefords sold lot 52 to Locharburn for $48,000 in a 70-bull full clearance averaging $19,014.
Beechwood and Richon Herefords in Lees Valley sold lot 4 to Shadow Downs for $37,000, averaging $10,389 after all 31 bulls sold.
Martin Farming Herefords near Wakefield sold a bull for $27,000 for a $11,357 average, South Westland’s Flagstaff Herefords topped the catalogue with a $19,000 bull, averaging $10,264, and Orari Gorge Herefords’ top bull made $22,500, averaging $10,586, while Grassmere Herefords had a top sale of $17,500, averaging $11,666.
The $168,000 paid for a Taimate Angus bull was the clear ring-leader for the breed, but other studs reaped strong prices and averages.
South Canterbury’s Stern Angus sold lot 3, Stern 24233PV, for $44,000 and lot 19, Stern 24252PV, for $40,000 with more than 30 bulls making at least $20,000.
The Fraser family averaged about $17,000 in a catalogue of just under 100 bulls.
Local results included Red Oak Angus selling a $28,000 bull for a $15,666 average with the high price also matched by Sudeley Angus, averaging $14,754 and Meadowslea Angus, averaging $12,316.
Mt Possession Angus sold a $26,000 bull for a $12,693 average and Kaiwara Angus reached $20,000 for an average of $10,260.
Further south, Umbrella Range Angus peaked at $42,000 for an $18,250 average.
Earlier, South Island Simmental studs Beresford had a top of $22,000, Leafland $15,000 twice and Hill Valley $17,000. — Additional reporting Shawn McAvinue
