Top quality bull brings in big bucks at Maraetotara sale

Lot 40 Koanui Techno sold for $51,000 at the annual Koanui Polled Hereford Stud bull sale in Maraetotara on Thursday. Photo/Hugh Chesterman

A top quality polled Hereford bull has sold for a record-breaking sum at a recent Hawke's Bay sale.

Lot 40, Koanui Techno, sold for $51,000 at the Chestermans' annual Koanui Polled Hereford Stud bull sale in Maraetotara on Thursday.

Jennifer Chesterman said Lot 40's bid was the highest they had ever had, with the previous top being $36,000 about 20 years ago.

The top bid was made by Glenbrae Polled Hereford stud in Central Hawke's Bay.

Nine out of 63 bulls also sold for more than $20,000 and the average price was $12,296.

A crowd of 250 people came from all over New Zealand with several coming from overseas for the sale, she said.

"It was an excellent sale, we had a lot of interest beforehand so we knew it would be right up there.

"It was such a beautiful day after all that terrible rain that we've had."

Some of the bulls on offer at Thursday's sale. Photo/Hugh Chesterman

This year the stud farm also undertook new biosecurity measures in the wake of the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak.

"We want to be quite careful about the disease."

People had to wash their boots before they came in and walk a certain route, Chesterman said.

"Everyone has been really compliant."

The auctioneer was Cam Heggie from PGG Wrightson, who made the event lighthearted with lots of jokes, she said.

"It was really incredible, such a happy atmosphere."

Chris Chesterman said Koanui Techno's popularity was down to the quality of the bull, a mixture between data and performance.

"It is an extremely good bull, a lot of interest in that bull from quite a few people."

The Chestermans have kept some of the bull's semen for themselves and they will continue to use it, which showed the quality of the animal, he said.

Lot 40, Koanui Techno, sold for a record $51,000 on Thursday. Photo/Hugh Chesterman

His sire has been marketed overseas with semen sold in Australia, where he has done very well.

The sale catalogue said the bull was a "ripper" and its pedigree was top end.

"Style, quality, presence and a fantastic data set stamp this bull as a potential breed great."

The second top priced bull was Lot 31, Koanui Hurricane, who went to a South Island buyer for $34,000.

Other high sellers were Lot 40's half brother Koanui Hood and his sons.

"They were among some of the top priced bulls," Jennifer said.