James, Harry and Lily Pearce, Yavenvale, with top price buyer Alvio Trovatello, Glendan Park Herefords, Kyneton, and agent James Brown, Ray White GTSM, with the top price bull Yavenvale Silverstone S335 (PP), for $55,000.
Buyers chasing elite genetics with outstanding performance figures paid to a top of $55,000 at one of the nation’s biggest offerings of young whiteface sires this autumn at Yavenvale Poll Herefords annual sale in southern NSW.
Hosted on-property at Adelong by the Pearce family on February 15, the sale drew 67 registered buyers in the sale barn and 10 buyers on AuctionsPlus, with bulls selling to NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.
A total of 116 bulls sold under the hammer from the 138 offered to a top of $55,000 and average of $10,922. A further five bulls were sold after the sale.
Alvio Trovatello, Glendan Park Herefords, Redesdale, Vic, snapped up Lot 37 Yavenvale Silverstone S335 (PP) for the top price of $55,000.
Sired by Glentrevor Trust N909, the July 2021 drop bull weighed 760kg and ranked on BREEDPLAN in the top 5 per cent for gestation length and all indexes. This was combined with top 10 per cent for all growth traits, scrotal size, and intramuscular fat, and top 20 per cent for calving ease direct and milk.
Mr Trovatello also paid $16,000 for Yavenvale Special Edition S696, one of the first TH Masterplan 183F (IMP USA) sons to be sold in Australia.
Mr Trovatello liked Silverstone’s overall balance, muscle pattern, top line, structural soundness and good EBVs across the board.
“We think we have got it all in one package here,” he said.
“We used Glentrevor Trust on heifers a few years ago and he worked well.
“Silverstone will go over heifers and cows, and possibly be used as an AI sire. The other bull was a Masterplan son, and I was impressed with his muscle pattern and awesome data – +25kg for milk, positive fats and +1.9 for IMF.”
Mr Trovatello thought the spring drop bulls had met with strong commercial demand.
“To put together 140 bulls and clear them and sell them the way they did was a credit to the Pearce family.
“The beef market is still very good and there is plenty of optimism around.”
Chris Lisle, Tummel Herefords, Walcha, NSW, buying through James Brown, Ray White GTSM, paid the second top price of $28,000 for the homozygous polled Lot 4 Yavenvale Superman S129 (PP).
Sired by Yavenvale Powerhouse P499, the 864kg bull ranked top 1 per cent for intramuscular fat, top 5 per cent for 600-day growth, top 10 per cent 400-day growth, scrotal and all indexes, and top 20 per cent for 200-day, milk, eye muscle area and rump fat.
Yavenvale had retained semen from the young sire for within herd use.
Mr Brown said Tummel had been searching for a classy sire and had shortlisted bulls in the catalogue.
“Lot 4 was identified as the bull of choice – Chris had been searching the country for the last few weeks and was lucky enough to secure him,” he said.
“Considering all things playing in the cattle market at the moment, the average is still very strong. There was not a lot of difference to the average and clearance of last year.
“Overall, it was a very strong sale for the Yavenvale team. There was a good cross section of buyers wanting heifer bulls to good cow bulls and stud sires.”
Steve and Debbie Reid, Talbalba Herefords, Milmerran, Qld, together with Mark and Nikita Duthie, Callaway Herefords, Irvingdale, Qld, bid online to secure Yavenvale Squire S607, a TH Masterplan 183F son ranking top 1 per cent for 200- and 400-day growth and all indexes.
Squire was among the first eight sons by US sire TH Masterplan 183F to be offered in Australia with the draft averaging $16,625.
Herefords Australia Super Sire inductee and Masterplan son, Yavenvale Summit S695, combined elite BREEDPLAN figures, an outcross pedigree and phenotype, and was sold for $20,000 to Ged McIntosh, Mac’s Land, Bonegilla, Vic. Mr McIntosh bought a total of five bulls to a top of $22,000.
Jon Weston, Harden, NSW, paid the top price by a commercial producer of $23,000 for Masterplan son Yavenvale Scooby S526 (S). Mr Weston bought three bulls for an average of $13,666.
Yavenvale co-principal James Pearce said over half of the catalogue represented new sire lines “which gives our clients a bit more of an edge through these outcross genetics.”
“The Masterplan genetics are fresh and new, and these were the first sons to be offered in Australia of Orari Gorge Quoit 160105 and Tarcombe Encore Q053,” Mr Pearce said.
“We try to get from Lot 1 to 144 as even as possible – we have a big cow herd to select from and you see here the best of what we have got. The scale of this program and the steers that we sell to the Teys Grasslands or Greenham Never Ever brands show us what is required to meet the market specs.”
Auctioneer Brian Leslie said there was tremendous demand for the top end bulls and the sale was solid all the way through.
“There was a few that snuck under the radar but all in all a very successful sale to average over $10,000 for around 120 bulls is excellent. The Masterplan calves were the new ones on the block and had the figures he is renowned for, and they looked like it too.
“Buyers here today were chasing calving ease and growth combined.”
Among the volume buyers were Andrew Bell, Redgum Herefords, Millicent, SA, with eight bulls to a top of $14,000, Alex and Neryl Ramsay, Warren, NSW, four bulls to $21,000, Barry and Fay Hicks, Gundowring, Vic, four bulls to $17,000 and Roger and Amy Paton, Tooma, NSW, purchased four herd improvers to average $9500.
Tarwin Poll Herefords, Meeniyan, Vic, and Ke Warra Poll Herefords, Moorooduc, Vic, partnered to buy the $20,000 Yavenvale Spotlight S606 (PP) while Wirruna Poll Herefords, Holbrook, and Tobruk Poll Herefords, Wagga Wagga, partnered on the $16,000 Yavenvale Serenity S514 (PP).
Selling agent was Ray White GTSM with the sale interfaced with AuctionsPlus.