THE blistering pace of the 2021 spring bull sales season reached dramatic new heights earlier today, when Ross and Dimity Thompson’s Millah Murrah Angus sale near Bathurst smashed breed and all-breed industry records.

The Bathurst region stud sold all 118 bulls offered this morning for an all-breeds record average of $34,220, turning over just north of $4 million.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the result included a new Angus breed record price for bulls of $280,000, paid for January 2020 calf, Millah Murrah Paratrooper R38, a first-season son of former breed record-holder, MM Paratrooper P15.

While almost all bull breeders have produced record high averages for their sales this spring, today’s Millah Murrah sale exceeded even this annual fixture’s lofty expectations.

In comparison, last year’s Millah Murrah spring sale – itself an outstanding result – saw a full clearance of 78 bulls averaging $20,384, with a top price of $60,000. This year’s sale average represented a 68pc rise in price on that, year-on-year.

The new breed record-priced bull, Paratrooper R38, found a home with northern NSW Angus seedstock producer Rodger Pryce, Brooklana via Dorrigo.

Headlining this year’s sale was the first offering of AI and ET sons by the $160,000 former Australian record priced Angus bull, Millah Murrah P15, which the Thompsons sold at their 2019 sale, but for which they retained a semen interest. His 43 sons offered in this year’s catalogue averaged a phenomenal $47,200, and included another son which eclipsed the previous breed record, selling for $240,000, and a 14-month old yearling some sold for a yearling breed record price of $100,000.

A January 2020 calf, the new $280,000 record-setter, Paratrooper R38, was out of Millah Murrah’s highly-performed Abigail cow family.

He sits in the top 5pc of the breed for domestic, heavy grain and heavy grass Indexes as well as 200-day, 400-day and 600-day growth and carcase weight; and top 10pc for mature cow weight, scrotal size and calving ease daughters.

He carried an Angus Heavy Grain Index value of +$180, Domestic Index of +$147, Heavy Grass Index of $156 and Angus Breeding Index value of $164. His Breedplan data (published below) included IMF of +2, eye muscle area of +7 and carcase weight of +95. His 200 day weight was +63 and 400-day weight, +124.

“R38 is an outstanding animal,” Millah Murrah’s catalogue commentary said. “He is as thick as any bull we have ever produced, with a true B+ muscle pattern.”

Today’s result exceeded the previous breed record for Angus bulls of $225,000 set back in July at the annual Texas Angus Sale (link). It also easily eclipsed the all-breeds record sale average price of $26,915, set at the 2017 NCC Brahman sale in Central Queensland, when 76 bulls sold in a total clearance (see Beef Central’s comprehensive summary of breed record prices for bulls and registered females).

Bulls sold to all parts of Australia, including Queensland and Western Australia, with heavy support from repeat clients across central, southern and northern NSW.

COVID limited physical attendance at the sale considerably, but strong online bidding activity was recorded through service provider Elite Livestock, logging almost 1000 viewers and 267 registered bidders.

 

Click here to access Beef Central’s comprehensive summary of breed record prices for bulls and registered females.