Page 72 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

Strength at the top of

the leaderboard

2022 saw continued high demand for top quality sire, Grassmere Gallant 9 and grandsire, Monymusk Gallant,
Hereford bulls both throughout the autumn sale who were both the top-priced bulls of their respective selling
season and into the spring. Interest in the top seasons. Saracen 200175 (ET) combines a nice moderate birth
end of both markets was strong, with a large weight with strong growth and balanced carcass traits in an
extremely well-marked and dark coloured phenotype that will
number of bulls transferred for stud use. be put to good use in the herd of Charwell Herefords, Bay of
Plenty. At the sale there was also very strong interest in the first
Words: Andrew Russo. Photos: Supplied sons of 2019 top-priced bull Matariki King Pin – with a number
th
sold for stud transfers – including the bull who was the 4 top-
priced nationally – Okawa King Pin 200156 – who sold to one of
AUTUMN SALES New Zealand’s oldest Hereford studs, Maungahina, Masterton
for $35,000. This interest helped push the sale average up to
There was tie at the top of the leaderboard in 2022 for $9688 on the 53 bulls sold through the auction ring.
the highest priced Hereford bull, with Matariki Herefords, Limehills Herefords, Roxburgh had the third and equal
Kaikoura, and Okawa Herefords, Mt Somers, both selling sires fourth top prices for bulls sold on-farm in the 2022 season.
for $47,000. Fellow Central Otago stud breeders Earnscleugh Station won
The equal top-priced bull from the Murray Families’ Matariki the bidding war at $42,000 for the first bull through the ring –
Stud was Matariki Nautical, who sold to fellow South Island Limehills Blast 200468. Blast 200468 is a heifer’s calf featuring
breeders Limehills Herefords, Roxburgh. Nautical is sired a pedigree containing some of the most influential sires in
by homebred bull Matariki Kruise and out of a young cow the Limehills herd – Streaker and Stamper – meaning he has
by popular sire Matariki 110637, who has sired a number high growth combined with a high IMF EBV and some of the
of high-priced bulls for the Murrays, including 2019 sale highest selection indexes in the breed. Close behind at an
topper Matariki King Pin. Other sales of note were Matariki auction price of $38,000 was Limehills Elite 200598 – a son
Nock Out – a son of the aforementioned Matariki 110637 – of Limehills Streaker 150368 – sold to Grassmere Herefords.
selling to Koanui Polled Herefords for $30,000, also the fifth Other stud sales included Limehills Stardom 200444 to Okawa
top price nationally, and Matariki Neutron selling to Richon for $20,000, Limehills Boss 200397 to Koanui for $16,000,
Herefords, Lees Valley for $21,000. A number of bulls sold for Limehills Driver 200513 to Twinstar for $16,000, alongside
stud transfer alongside the traditional support of commercial large commercial operators and long-time Limehills’ clients
farmers, which saw the average set at a staggering $11,290, Beaumont Station purchasing Limehills Champ 200339 for
easily the highest average nationally for the 2022 season and $26,000. These sales helped push the average up to $9711 for
impressively achieved on a close to full clearance of 62 bulls. the 60 bulls sold on the day.
The equal top-priced bull from the Okawa Hereford Stud Otapawa Herefords of the Robbie Family at Tiraumea backed
of Nick and Penny France and family was Okawa Saracen up its strong 2021 sale, increasing to an average of $9717 on
200175 (ET), who uniquely follows in the footsteps of his the 39 bulls sold through the auction ring in 2022. Their top-

70 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2023