Aberdeen Angus Bulls Sell At Lower Average

Press, Volume C, Issue 29623, 20 September 1961, Page 16

Aberdeen Angus Bulls Sell At Lower Average

"The Press’ Special Service

DANNEVIRKE, Sept. 19. In spite of the excellent condition of entries at the biggest-ever New Zealand Aberdeen Angus Cattle Breeders’ Association sale of run bulls today, over-all prices dropped by up to 16 per cent, on last year’s sale More than 700 buyers, many of them South Islanders, crammed the enlarged rostrum, now the biggest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. Bidding opened on a cautious note and did not really recover. Fifty-seven bulls were sold for 42,975 gns., an average of 754 gns., compared with 53 at an average of 891 gns. last year. Prices tyere down over all classes except for two-year-olds, which beat last year’s average by 24 gns.

The supreme champion at the annual show this morning was Elegance 32nd, of Mangatoro, a yearling from Donald Grant and Company’s stud. It was later sold at auction for 2550 gns, to Dalzlell Brothers (Feilding).

The highest bid of the day 2700 gns., was lodged for the prize-winning yearling, Elegance 29th, of Mangatoro, but the young bull was passed in at that figure. • Grant and Company almost “scooped the pool” in the show ring. The one honour they did not capture was the two-year-old award carried off by Gordon Grieve (South-

land) with Neptune of Blackwood. Mr Grieve was one of several southern breeders represented at the sale. A big attendance of southern buyers and vendors was, in fact, a feature of this year’s sale. The South Island breeder, J. E. D. Roberts, of Middlemarch, sold four bulls for 1885 gns. R. K. Ireland, of Oamaru, sold one at 800 gns. and Alan Grant, of Waimate, one at 230 gns. Paying second highest price of the day Mr Grieve bought Donald Grant and Company’s Elegance 20th of Mangatoro for 2500 gns. Two other South South Island breeders paid high prices for bulls from the Mangatoro stud. L. Black, of Invercargill, bought one of the “elegance” line for 1075 gns., and another of the same blood went to M. Poff for 1000 gns. Other South Island buyers, with the prices they paid, were: Mrs J. Collis (Hawarden). 550 gns.: E. A. F. Wilding (Conway Flat), 600 gns.; R. Ferguson (Blenheim), 420 gns.; p. H. Hocquard (Blenheim), 600 gns.: R. Jenkins (Christchurch), 300 gns.; Mrs P. S. Booth (Nelson). 290 gns.; H. Fitzsimmons (Christchurch), 600 gns.; E. P. Robin (Christchurch). 500 gns.