Rain failed to dampen the annual Enterprise Cattle Company Bull Sale in Wakefeild which continued its success this year with an increase in buyer attendance, enjoying the hospitality and the excitement of the helmsman auction.
A total of 51 rising 2 year old bulls were sold for an average price of $4,000. The Angus breed were big sellers with 20 being sold at an average price of $3,400. Top price for Lot 1 went to Aomarma Station, Hawkes Bay for $7,800.
The Enterprise Cattle Co. sold five Hereford bulls averaging $3,000, with J & K Humphries of Southland paying top price of $6,000 for lot 29. The Lake Station sold 15 Hereford bulls averaging $4,300, with lot 36 bought by L & L Giltrap of Christchurch for the top price of $6,400.
Simmentals however fetched the best prices on the day with 11 bulls sold averaging $5,000, with the top price of the sale finally going to lot 56 for $13,500 by phone bid to John Hammond of Ohakune. The constantly changing bids displayed on the white boards at the front of the marquee tent showed the small bidding war which developed over lot 56.
Taumarunui couple Paul Collier and Lynn Hayes were the unsuccessful bidders and were lighthearted about events. "We have had the genetics before and were after the particular blood line and so we travelled the country to get it," Paul explained. "I've made an honest man out of the opposition, that's what I've done," he said with a laugh.
They have a block of 1,083 acres at Kaitieke and 630 acres at Mananui, just south of Taumarunui. Paul said they liked the South Island bulls as they are generally brought up in a hardier environment and tend to do better in the warmer north, with a particular focus on the dam side. "Tamara would probably be one of the most consistent breeders I've seen in the Simmental bloodline, a cow that has produced six or seven stud sires, has gone through the National sale, and still sitting out in the paddock at 16-18 years of age. That's pretty good, we don't have many around of that age on our country, but that's what I was looking for."
