Page 21 - 2020 NZ Hereford Magazine

big studs but it’s their day. It’s always nice to be asked to sell at Some bulls I will go and see three or four times before I sell them.
anyone’s sale.” I do pride myself on that homework. I need that information
written down, it doesn’t come flooding to me like it does with
“SOLD FOR $15,000. FRED, SPIN HIM AROUND. someone like Bruce Orr; he’ll stand up, look at a pedigree and
WE’LL SELL THE OTHER SIDE NOW.” away he goes. He could talk about it all day long. I have to do my
homework to do that.”
As well as Pat Cooper and the older generation of breeders The auctioneer makes all the noise in front of the crowd, but
such as Koanui’s Fred Chesterman, Cam has a mental list of Cam says they’re part of a bigger team.
industry people who have helped or mentored him through “A lot of people underestimate the crowd we have around
his career. He learnt first-hand from the likes of Bruce Orr and us, from the commercial agent who has been looking after the
Neville Clark, but also from the guidance of Michael O’Toole at client, to the stud stock agent from the area. The better the bid
Wrightson and Charlie Innes at Elders. spotters do, the better I look,” Cam says, with a laugh. Then
“They were outstanding at the rostrum. They had a lot of there are the office staff.
influence on my selling in the early days. “Generally they’re the first ones there to register buyers and
“I also like humour in a sale. I like the way Neville Clark the last ones to leave. They’re professionals. They turn up at the
brings humour into a sale although he seems to get away with
a lot more than other people would. BELOW, TOP TO BOTTOM: Other auctioneers who have influenced
“Someone else who was influential was Steve Davis from NZ Cam’s career include Pat Cooper, Neville Clark and Bruce Orr.
Bloodstock. He travels the world and is one of the best horse
auctioneers in the world; a total professional.”
One of Cam’s watershed moments was as the sole
auctioneer for the 2018 Koanui Polled Herefords sale. Forty of
the 63 bulls sold for more than $10,000 each, nine of those
for more than $20,000. The two highest prices, $34,000 and
$51,000, were paid by stud breeders.
“It was the first time I had sold Koanui on my own. Its
success was a turnaround for my own confidence.”
David Henderson from Craigmore Herefords says their
yearling bull sale has gone from strength to strength since PGG
Wrightson took over the sale with Cam as auctioneer.
“I rely on [PGG] Wrightson and stock agents and Cam for
their promotion. We’re putting up 100 bulls and it can get very
monotonous if someone is just taking bids or trying to get bids,
so Cam’s humour goes a long way.”
Cam says Lot 65 is as important to the client as Lot 25 or
85; that’s one of the reasons he brought in young auctioneer
Sam Wright to help at the Craigmore auction in last year.
“Farmers don’t want to listen to me for 100 bulls, as much
as I want to talk for 100 bulls. It mixes it up a little bit and picks
up their attention. After 25 bulls, someone else’s voice is in their
head. With 100 bulls there’s only so many ways to describe
them physically. It’s easy when they’ve got good data.”
“LONGEVITY IS PART OF THE PACKAGE HERE.
WHEN WE SEE THE DAM LINE ON THIS SIRE…
IT SPELLS STAY-ABILITY.”

Cam admits to borrowing a few phrases from other people
but comes up with most himself.
“I like watching anyone sell; sometimes I will sit down and
watch bull sales from Australia or America and sometimes pull
something that can have a kiwi twist.”
Homework is vital before a sale.
“A lot of that knowledge comes from experience; when you
start seeing bulls sold one year and a year later you hear about
the progeny on the ground and then you’re selling sons. That
helps you put all the pieces together.
“Preparation is huge. I do a lot of homework on the catalogues.
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