Kaharau Angus marks 50 years

Lot 12 sold for a sale high price of $24,000 at the Kaharau Angus stud’s 50th annual bull sale on Monday night, with a packed rostrum on hand to enjoy the celebration of a major milestone for the stud, and an almost total clearance. Picture shows Lot 14 in the ring. Picture by Liam Clayton

Kaharau Angus off Riverside Road celebrated 50 years of bull sales on Monday night in style with a packed rostrum on-farm in Goodwin Road and a “brilliant” commercial sale.

The iconic local stud sold all but two of the 62 rising two-year-old bulls it put up for sale by auction for a sale average of $10,590.

The top priced animal, Lot 12, sold for $24,000, and two bulls were sold to stud, one at $19,000 to Bos Angus of Stratford.

A special feature of the sale was the attendance by long-time Kaharau auctioneer Pat Cooper from Napier who spoke to the crowd, and also got to sell  four of the bulls.

Mr Cooper auctioned the Kaharau stock for 25 years.

Studmaster Penny Hoogerbrug felt it was a really strong sale, given the challenges of the season.

“We got really good prices right the way through,” she said.

Thirty of the bulls sold for five figures.

“Absolutely this was a grand celebration of our 50 years, with a really good crowd, and it was so good to have Pat here with us,” she said.

Auctioneer Neville Clark said it was “a really healthy sale of commercially attractive cattle that were well received”.

“It really was a wonderful way for Kaharau to mark 50 years and reflect on the impact this stud has had on the industry.

“You had good bulls all the way through the catalogue.”

That thought was echoed by a long-time cattleman who said the commercial nature of the sale was “brilliant”.

“There were top-class bulls there for everyone.”

PGG Wrightson’s genetics representative Emma Pollitt, who was part of the up-front sales podium team for the night, agreed it was a very strong commercial sale.

“It was a real credit to Penny and her team.

“It hasn’t been an easy couple of months for them, and they have worked really hard to get this result.

“All that hard work has really paid off for them,” she said.

“The sale was so well supported, with a capacity crowd, and we had 65 registered buyers from all over the country.

“It was a wonderful occasion.”