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Southern bull buyers bid $100,000 or more to help make history at an Angus auction.
Taimate Angus in Ward, Marlborough sold all 100 bulls for an average price of $23,750 including a top price of $168,000 for bull Taimate V15 to Tangihau Angus in Gisborne last week.
The bull set a record for the highest price paid for any breed at an auction in New Zealand.
Before the sale, no bull had fetched $100,000 or more at a sale in the South Island.
Southern bull buyers played important roles in two bulls fetching six-figure sums at the sale.
Bradley Catto, of Picton Park stud in McNab near Gore, paid $100,000 for Taimate V57, the second-highest price at the sale.
"It was a hell of a sale, no question about that," Mr Catto said.
He went to the sale wanting to buy Taimate V57.
"We saw him three weeks before the sale and he was the one that fits our system and what we are trying to do."
Taimate V57 is the progeny of sire Kayjay Meatpack R410 and dam Taimate Q103 and had been used at Taimate Angus over yearling heifers.
The bull was lot 32 and Mr Catto had no plan B.
"He was the one we were after, so he was the one we got in to."
The bull had a good balance of data and was structurally sound.
"He has good feet, a good temperament, a bit of everything. There wasn’t anything we had to sacrifice for what we are trying to achieve."
The Picton Park stud was registered about six years ago and bulls had been sold by private treaty.
Cattle breeding was a passion and an aspiration was to hold an inaugural on-farm bull auction in the coming years.
Kyle Hagen, of Puketoi Angus stud on the Maniototo, said Taimate Angus was the only bull sale, other than his own, he had attended this season.
He was the under-bidder on the $168,000 bull, withdrawing after making a bid of $167,000.
"We went past our budget but it was obvious we weren’t going to buy it."
He believed Tangihau Angus would have kept bidding much higher.
"I have no regrets not going any further," Mr Hagen said.
After losing Taimate V15, he shifted his focus to Taimate V55, which he paid $50,000 for, the fourth-highest price at the sale.
The appeal of Taimate V55 was his even set of estimated breeding values and his structure.
"He’s well put together."
He was prepared to pay up to $100,000 to buy Taimate V55.
Taimate V55 is the progeny of sire Alpine Real Deal R163 and dam Taimate N 59.
A sales pitch in the catalogue stated Taimate V55 had been "used hard over 50 run cows".
"What an incredible worker he is," the sales pitch lauded.
Other southern buyers at Taimate Angus included Delmont Angus, near Clinton, buying bull Taimate V35 for $38,000, Penvose Angus, near Wedderburn, buying Taimate V263 for $36,000 and Fossil Creek Angus in Fuchsia Creek, North Otago, buying bull Taimate V8 for $35,000.
