Cracking start to Tairāwhiti bull sale season

It was a terrific start to the R2 bull sales in the region on Monday when Gold Creek Simmentals at Te Karaka enjoyed a 100% sale. This guy, the top-priced bull, sold for $26,000 and is off to stud in Northland.

Gold Creek at Te Karaka and Kerrah at Whakaki got the rising-2-year-old bull sales season in Tairāwhiti off to a cracking start on Monday.

The two Simmental studs enjoyed a total clearance.

Gold Creek Simmentals realised a solid top price and a big lift on last year’s average.

Its rostrum was packed for the on-farm sale on Monday with mainly local buyers.

“We had a cracker,” studmaster Tom Sanson said.

This strapping young fellow will go to a new home in Wairoa after he sold for the second-best price at Gold Creek of $21,000.

It sold 29 out of 29 bulls put up for sale by auction, with a top price of $26,000 and average of $11,675.

“That average is well up on last year,” Sanson said.

“We sold five bulls to stud, which was really pleasing - two to Wairoa, two to Northland, and one to Piopio near Ōtorohanga.

“As with the stud bulls, we got really strong commercial support on top of that,” Sanson said.

“Overall we were really happy with how the sale went.”

Kerrah Simmentals had a total clearance as well, averaging just under $12,100 across the 81 rising 2-year-olds sold. Photo / Emma Pollitt

On Tuesday, Kerrah Simmentals at Whakaki sold all 81 young bulls in its line-up at an average of $12,099.

Top price paid was $24,000 - lot four sold to stud - which was one of seven stud bulls sold.

PGG Wrightson genetics representative Emma Pollitt said it was pleasing to see the Gold Creek and Kerrah teams rewarded for their hard work.

“To present lines of bulls that reached those values was really good,” Pollitt said.

“It bodes well for the breed in general and reflects buyers’ confidence in that the bulls go on to perform and inject vigour into their breeding programmes.

“So well deserved and a very exciting start to bull season on the East Coast.”