Enthusiastic buyers snap up load of bulls

The number 13 was not bad luck for breeder Willie Philip, pictured with Dandaleith Intensity 365, which made the top price of $12,300 at the combined Central and Southern Hawke's Bay sale.

The top price at this year's Cashbac bull sale was $12,300 for a bull from Willie Philip's Dandaleith stud in Dannevirke.

This is the 22nd year the combined Central and Southern Hawke's Bay sale has been held, with entries from Dandaleith and Moanaroa studs and Tahuna and Hiwiroa Shorthorns.

With top-quality stock going under the hammer at the sale in Dannevirke last week, expectations were high for good prices, but Dan Ramsden of Moanaroa Angus from Akitio told the Dannevirke News other criteria had been important too.

"With eight bulls in the sale I'm not worried about the price, I just want them to go to good homes."

Mr Ramsden said there was an increasing interest in Angus cattle and for buyers, fertility, good rear ends and "plenty of grunt" were attributes to consider.

The first lot up, a Dandaleith bull, went for $5500, but it was a "beautiful bull". Lot 2, which set the initial price benchmark of $11,000, was later outdone by the $12,300 bull, also from Willie Philip.

Thirty-two bulls went under the hammer, with 25 sold. The average price was $5168 and the lowest price $4000.

And despite the stock from Tahuna and Hiwiroa Shorthorns having been through a tough 12 months because of the lack of rain, they'd caught up in the last two months, the vendors said.