Random reminder

Press, 6 October 1980, Page 25

Random reminder

ON THE TRAIL

So manv stories have been told over the years about bulls, the farmers who breed them, the claims made for them, and their manure. In fact when the word “Bull” crops up it is hard to tell whether the animal or the manure is being referred to. So it is nice to be able to tell a story about a geniune bull (animal) without the suspicion that there might be some bull (manure) about it. For years he had sold his bulls at the local auction. But this year, recognising with all modesty that one of his two-year-old bulls was quite exceptional, he decided to take it i r °i n the bottom of the South Island to the middle of tho North Island to offer it at the breed’s prestigious annual national sale. He decided the best way of transporting the bull to Palmerston North was in a borrowed _ horsefloat behind the family car. But it was the middle of winter and the main road to the coast and thence north lay over a high range of hills. Several miles from home deep snow covered the steep road and blocked further progress.

There was no way the poor old family car would pull the weight in

tlie horsefloat through the snow. But the onlv alternative route would have added hours to a journey which had an unbreakable appointment with a ferry several hundred miles away at Picton. The only answer was to unload the bull and lead it by hand — not a congenial task even in saleyards and most uncongenial on a lonely country road miles from anywhere — several miles up the hill to the summit of the pass. A friend’s Landrover pulled the horsefloat to the hilltop where, after some unfriendly words and a lot of brute strength, the bull was persuaded aboard again. The southerners arrived in Palmerston North without further incident. There the bull justified all the good opinions held of him. He was sold for a national auction record price of $20,500 to a North Island syndicate. As tlie owner joked aftenvards: “I bet our’s was the only bull who had to walk part of the way to the sale.”

■■ But fairytale endings are rare. An hour later another bull was sold for $21,000 and so set a new record. Still, the southerner had his moment of glory, plus a lot of money.