Riddellvue Bull and Female sale offering

Riddellvue Angus has faced poor seasons and falling cattle markets since moving to Markwood last year, but it hasn’t hindered the continued improvement of its herd.

Principal Ian Bates said despite having to feed cattle through the winter, the spring sale bulls are looking as good as ever at Riddellvue.

“Old timers in this area are saying the season is one of the worst they’ve seen, so it has been a battle, but the bulls are going along really well,” he said.

“This will be our fourth sale at Markwood, and since the move the climate in the beef industry has been very tough.

“And while opening new doors is harder in tough conditions, the locals have been really receptive to us in the area and past clients have followed us along, so it has been a good balance.”

Ian will catalogue 36 Angus bulls aged 18 months for the spring sale, to be held on-property and via AuctionsPlus on Thursday 12 September this year.

The offering will include sons of the $64,000 Reiland Ricochet R952, a bull which has TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation estimate breeding values is in the top five per cent of the breed for calving ease and top 10 per cent for docility and intramuscular fat.

“When I saw the Ricochet bull I wasn’t necessarily looking to buy a new bull but we went up to the Reiland sale at Gundagai and we liked everything about the bull - it had a great set of numbers, and he has proved the ground that he is stronger than his 600-day numbers show, so to me it is a very special bull,” Ian said.

“We will end up retaining 50 to 60 females, and he has been used heavily in the Reiland herd and other prominent studs- we have now sold him on to Merlewood Angus for stud duties.”

It will be the first time Riddellvue will offer Reiland Ricochet progeny under the hammer, and Ian is excited for clients old and new to see the bulls.

“They have great temperament; confirmation and their feet are fantastic. I am really looking forward to them coming through the sale.” he said.

As usual, Riddellvue will also offer 20 registered females at the spring sale, and there is a chance of Ricochet progeny to be included in that lineup as well.

One of the other prominent sire lines in this year’s spring sale will be by Blackjack Genesis Q04, a son of Pathfinder Genesis with growth figures in the top 10 percent.

“I’ve never seen such good feet as the Genesis bulls in this sale, and there is a bigger group of them,” Ian said.

“It is just a great lineup of bulls across the catalogue, consistent right through and presenting really well.”

With early bull sales in the north of the country looking promising, Ian is hopeful there will be a change of sentiment - and weather - moving into the spring.

“We’ve had 50ml this month, which has made a little bit of movement, and the days are getting longer so we are heading in the right direction, with a lot of crops looking good in the district,” he said.

“The spring sales in the north are going well and Victoria is normally the cheapest place to buy bulls, which isn’t a reflection of the bulls, it is just that there are a lot of good bulls in Victoria that people overlook.”

Last year’s spring sale at Riddellvue sold 21 bulls to a top of $12,500 and average of $6675, while in the autumn of this year a Genesis son made the top price of $10,000 and the 21 bulls cleared averaged $6450.

Gates will be open for a bull inspection day from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday August 28 at Riddellvue, 153 Markwood-Tarrawingee Road, Markwood, Victoria.

The sale, on a new day this year, will follow at 1pm on Thursday September 12, with pre-sale inspections available from 10am.

For the latest news & sale updates, please visit www.riddellvue.com.au or Riddellvue Angus Facebook & Instagram Page.