Introducing Circle 8 Rosebud S669 to the Macka’s Herd

February 2022

ANGUS breed records fell on two occasions at the Circle 8 Angus female sale as an explosive sale ring experienced breeders chasing yearling heifers to tops of $140,000. The records came off the back of the Cooper family, Marula, taking the courageous step to offer the entire S-drop of their heifer line, which created a frenzy with buyers that saw an opportunity to buy the best on offer.

The first record to fall was the sale of Circle 8 Rosebud S669, who broke the record as the highest price unjoined yearling Angus heifer to be sold at auction at $140,000. The second was a five-year-old record set by the Millah Murrah Angus stud, Bathurst, for the highest averaging registered Angus female sale in the country at $13,709 in 2017. That record was smashed by Circle 8 with an impressive $20,950 average for a total clearance of 78 young yearling females. Record-breaking heifer Circle 8 Rosebud S669 was a daughter of HPCA Proceed, out of Circle 8 E11 Rosebud L122, and was purchased by Robert Mackenzie, director of Macka's Australian Black Angus Beef, Gloucester, for $140,000. Mr Mackenzie said we followed our simple philosophy of pedigree, phenotype and performance and bought seven females, averaging $39,714. Macka's incorporates eight properties totalling 16,000 acres, running 3500 commercial Angus breeders and flew into the sale by helicopter.

"We operate a boxed beef program, and this shows our customers that we are committed to strengthening the genetics, not only in our stud operation but strengthening the genetics right through our commercial herd - so we are offering a quality product from paddock to plate," he said. "A near perfect structured female with outstanding feet and legs, an extraordinary shoulder and neck extension, with tremendous thickness over the top and down the hind leg coupled with a beautiful softness of skin and deepness of side to give her the capacity we are looking for.

"Her performance record is outstanding being moderate for birth through to 600-day growth, very good milk and carcase data, +5.8 for EMA [eye muscle area], +1.0 for rib, +2.0 for rump, +5.7 for IMF [intramuscular fat] which puts her in the top 1pc of the breed and provides a truly exceptional set of data for our program." Pushing Mr Mackenzie all the way on the top heifers was Mark Barnett, Barnett Angus, Westbury, Tasmania, who paid to $66,000 for Circle 8 Rosebud S543, in a draft of 12 heifers, averaging a staggering $27,500. Mr Barnett was also the losing bidder on the top heifer, pushing Mr Mackenzie all the way. He said he came to the sale with the intention to buy young heifers from the Circle 8 Rosebud L110 female line and was unable to pick the one he wanted, so he bought as many as he could.

"Their mother has outproduced herself and I wanted a line of heifers to replicate what their mother could do and continue that family line on inmy herd," he said. "My goal is that one or two of these heifers will be able to replicate what their mum had done and when that happens, we will have something very exciting." Mr Barnett complimented stud principal Jeremy Cooper and believed he had established a genuine value for Angus females by offering the entire S drop and the chance for people to buy the best. "No one I know has offered the entire drop and chance to secure these ultimate females and what Jeremy has started the industry will follow and create a new premium for elite Angus females," he said. "He has done a terrific job of focusing on phenotypically superior animals, so they look good, they are sound, their structure is good, and they taste great due to their marbling."

AuctionsPlus was alight with action securing $534,000 in females, with 34 lots selling online to a top of $50,000 and averaging $15,706 across its purchases. Laird and Sonia Morgan, Arubial, Condamine, Queensland, played at the top end, securing five females to a top of $30,000, averaging $23,600. Stirling Pastoral Company, Bathurst, secured two heifers, including the $52,000 Circle 8 Rosebud S568 female, by Baldridge Command C036, who displayed great carcase attributes, strong IMF and positive fats. Bill Cornell, Culcairn, worked thephones for Ardno Livestock Trust, Mt Gambier, SA, who secured four heifers to a top of $28,000, to average $21,000 across the draft.

The sale conducted by Nutrien had John Settree and Andrew Wishart as auctioneers.

Article by Journalist Brett Tindal & Hayley Warden Published in The Land