Meadowslea R705's price tag couldn't be matched this season. Photo / Supplied
Meadowslea R705's price tag couldn't be matched this season. Photo / Supplied
A 2-year-old Angus bull from Fairlie is the top-selling bull in the nation this season after heated bidding climbed to $92,500 at a Meadowslea Angus sale.
Meadowslea R705 just overshadowed a $92,000 bull sold by Gisborne's Whangara Angus for the Giddings family to cling on to bragging rights.
Lot 24 was sold on their own online platform to the Kjestrup family's Kay Jay Angus stud in Wairarapa.
A three-way tussle went down to the wire between them and underbidders Kaharau Angus and Ratanui Angus, both of Gisborne.
David Giddings said they were chuffed to head the bull-selling season.
"We are very excited that he's gone to a good stud and the semen might have gone to another stud so he's gone to some really top studs and his progeny will have a real impact."
He said they were still coming to grips with the highest price they had sold a bull.
"Until then $35,000 was our highest price we had ever had before and it got well over that.
Buyers turn out in force for the Meadowslea bull sale on the yourbid platform. Photo / Supplied
"We had just bought a bull for $81,000 and were standing behind the guy we'd bought it from [Kincardine Angus' Mike Smith] when the bidding got to $40,000 and he said 'well you've paid for half of that bull already' when the bidding stalled."
He said they thought it was a good price at that stage and had no idea it would keep climbing.
The first bid of $11,000 was registered online a week before the Giddings' June 24 sale and commercial farmers shifted it to $18,000 before the stud breeders took over.
Giddings said R705 had the fertility traits of short days to calving and top rib fat figures to match its powerful frame.
He said they looked long and hard at keeping the rising 2-year-old.
"Because he's out of our two major bloodlines at Meadowslea - Turihaua Crump and Meadowslea F540 - with most of our females related to them, it would have been difficult to use him so we made the difficult decision to let him go."
R705's mother, H107, was the top 10-year-old cow sold at their record female sale in May and produced a $17,000 bull at a 2019 sale.
His sire is Meadowslea N166, a rising 5-year-old that had 10 sons at the latest auction and its sire was Turihaua Crump E5, a trait leader for short days to calving.
The bull sold for well above its $10,000 reserve with the final bid understood to be a South Island record.
"He had an awfully strong pedigree and his father is probably the best bull we've ever bred while his grandfather Turihaua Crump is still in the front paddock."
He said the money had already been spent after investing $81,000 into the Kincardine Angus bull.
Lot 4 sold for $23,500 to an online Australian bidder from Jade Park Angus, who was looking for a heifer bull for calving ease, and Lot 1 for $19,500 to North Canterbury's Red Oak Stud.
