Koojan Hills rewrites records

A record-breaking $22,500 top price was the stunning result at the Koojan Hills Angus bull sale last week.

Stud principal Lew Smit said it was the best result ever and well might he be pleased - the average for the 41 bulls offered and sold was $$8177, up a massive $1309 on last year's average.

Angus studs Australia-wide were represented at the sale and it was Spry's Angus, of Tamworth, New South Wales, which paid the $22,500 top.

"A tremendous result but it is worth observing that there were still good quality bulls between $3000 and $6000 for the commercial buyer," Elders auctioneer Dennis Roberts said.

Buying Koojan Hills Buddy F23 (AI) on behalf of Spry's Angus was Narralda Shorthorns' Alex Burrow.

Gerald Spry, of Spry's Shorthorns, Wagga Wagga, NSW, had been over for the Narralda sale and inspected Koojan Hills Buddy before recommending him to his son Matt and daughter-in-law Kate who run Spry's Angus at Tamworth, NSW.

Buddy's sire is Coonamble B280 and his dam is Koojan Hills D3 (AI)

The sale was held using catalogue video photography by Ben Hooper's Clear Vision Imaging who photographed the bulls on February 2.

"Ben is a mate of Matt's and after he'd videoed the bulls, reported back to Matt that there were a couple of really good bulls in the Koojan Hills line-up," Gerald Spry said.

"So when I was in Perth for the Narralda sale I had a look at him and went for his overall balance, lots of body and depth."

Buddy would be used on Angus cows at Tamworth and semen collected would be used across Shorthorn cows to breed Angus-Shorthorn bulls, Gerald said.

The second-top price of $19,500 was paid by Glenburn station, of Glenburn, Victoria, with Elders' Daniel Sugars buying on behalf of the station which has recently registered its Malcolm Angus stud. The $19,500 was paid for Koojan Hills Lookout F1.

Applause greeted the successful bid on Lookout, with his moderate birth weight figures of +5.2 and growth figures of +47 (200-day), +97 (400) and +129 (600).

The losing bidder on Buddy was Tullibardine Angus stud's Alastair Murray (bidding on behalf of himself and Gary Buller's Monterey Angus stud).

But they were successful later at $10,500 on Koojan Hills Unlimited F237 (birth weight +4.5) which will be used over heifers in each stud.

By phone, repeat buyer Charles Wallace, of Woodbourn Angus stud, Tasmania, bought Koojan Hills Unlimited F171 at $11,500, while Tony Sudlow, of Kapari Angus stud, Binnu, bought Koojan Hills Equator F13 (AI) at $11,000.

"He has outstanding figures and bloodlines we are looking for," Tony said.

"He's exceptionally correct and we're rapt."

Returning to buy in her 21st year at Koojan Hills was Sue Ray, of Waralla, Ournie, NSW, with Elders Geoff Shipp taking her phone bids.

For use in her 400-head breeder herd, Sue bought bulls at $14,000, $9000, $8250 (2) and $6500.

For the second year running at the Wodonga cattle sale in early January, Sue's Koojan Hill blood weaner steers fetched the $895/head top price (236c/kg). Last year her weaner steers also topped the sale at $860/head.

Other Koojan Hills volume buyers were Levens Cattle Co, of Mt Barker, GP Mackie & Co, of New Norcia, Old Bambun Grazing, of Gingin, and Treeton Lake, of Cowaramup.

Levens Cattle Co bought four bulls to a $7750 top, Mackie & Co four bulls to a $9500 top, Old Bambun three bulls to a $7750 top and Treeton Lake three bulls to an $11,000 top price.

"It was an outstanding sale, one of the best sales we've ever seen in WA," Elders stud and commercial cattle manager Darren Chatley said.