Sales

2023 SALE RESULTS

HOMOZYGOUS POLL TOPS NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS 20TH SALE

Yavenvale Herefords bought the top priced bull, Newcomen Smoko, for $17,000 at the Newcomen Herefords 20th Annual Bull sale on Wednesday 15 March 2023.

Newcomen Smoko was a homozygous poll by Mawarra Superior offered late in the sale at Lot 43.

The stud sold 45 bulls at auction for an average of $8288, with a further six selling after the sale to buyers who missed out.

Summary: 45 bulls to top of $17,000, average $8288

2022 SALE RESULTS

2021 SALE RESULTS

2020 SALE RESULTS

2019 SALE RESULTS

2018 SALE RESULTS

2017 SALE RESULTS

2016 SALE RESULTS

2015 SALE RESULTS

2014 SALE RESULTS

NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS SCORE BEST PRICE IN 11 YEAR HISTORY

Newcomen Herefords celebrated its best price ever when Newcomen Hot Shot sold for $16,000 at the stud’s 11th annual on-property sale at Ensay on Wednesday 19 March, 2014.

Repeat buyers waged a bidding war for Lot 3, with Omeo’s Peter Smith winning the duel and then promptly snapping up Lot 4 for $5000, as well.

The stud sold 36 bulls at auction, to a top of $16,000 and an average of $4402.

The top price vindicated stud principal Barry Newcomen’s belief, during his pre-sale address, that the bull was something special.

“He’s the best bull I’ve bred – he’s the heaviest we’ve had; he’s in the top 1 per cent for 200, 400 and 600 day weights and has great skin and temperament. I know I say it every year, but this line-up of bulls is the best we’ve ever presented.”

Hot Shot was the stud’s first son by the promising new sire Mawarra Whistler, and while Lot 3 underbidder Karen Edwards of Woodside may have missed out on a Whistler son early in the sale, but she picked up two bulls for the day including a spring-drop Whistler son offered at lot 34, securing him for $8500.

Second top price of the sale was $9000, paid twice. Evan and Dorothy Newcomen kicked off proceedings by purchasing Lot 1, a Mawarra Virginian son with impressive EBV figures, for $9000. It was paid again by R and B Johnson for a Poll bull by renowned Poll sire Debarry Elliott.

Repeat buyers weighed in again this year, providing a good platform to the sale amid producers’ concern for the dry conditions.

“There’s definitely an uncertainty around about the dry conditions,” Mr Newcomen said. “We could all do with a bit more rain, here and right up the east coast. I think the passed-in rate reflects that concern and I can understand that. But I thank those buyers who did bid and buy and I’m confident the bulls will do well for them.”

Repeat buyers included Fraser and Penny Barry of Bindi Station who took home lot 10, 17, 22 and 26 to a top of $3000. Craig and Jane Lloyd bought three bulls, including a spring-drop Whistler son at lot 35 for $4500, and Jim and Sue Gray trucked home two bulls – Lot 27 which they snared for $4000 after landing Lot 6 for $3500. Len and Debbie Marshall bid strongly to win three bulls for their Benambra property, including Lot 2 which they purchased for $6000 and Lot 40 for $4500.

Glenaladale producers Max and Margaret Treasure bought two bulls to a top of $4000 while Orbost breeders Paul and Diane Marshall took home two after paying $3000 for Lot 16. Reece and Wendy Newcomen, of Ensay, bought three and other multiple buyers included Omeo Pastoral Company and WJ Armit and Partners.

The volume buyer at the sale was the McGauran Pastoral Company, which has been a strong supporter of the stud for many years. The company purchased five bulls, paying a top of $4000 for Lot 13.

2013 SALE RESULTS

2012 SALE RESULTS

REPEAT BUYERS FLOCK TO STOCK UP AT NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS

ENSAY’s Ken and Kym Skews backed up their confidence in the beef cattle industry with spirited bidding at the Newcomen Herefords 9th Annual bull sale to secure the equal top-priced bull at the stud’s on-property sale last Wednesday.

Mr Skews, who has bought at every sale since the first Newcomen Herefords sale in 2004, was pushed to $12,000 for Lot 3, Newcomen Fandango, sharing the top price honours with other repeat buyers Karen Edwards of Woodside, who bought Lot 4, and Maree Paton of Mitta Mitta who also paid $12,000 for Lot 25.

The stud offered 44 bulls and sold 39 for an average of $5436 in a result that pleased owners Barry and Topsy Newcomen.

“It was a good, solid sale and I’m really happy with the average,” Mr Newcomen said. “There was a lot of support from return buyers which is always heartening because that indicates the bulls have been performing for them once they get them home.

“Our clearance rate was down but I think I learned a valuable lesson from that. We had a spate of injuries from bulls fighting in the lead up to the sale so I added five supplementary bulls on the day as replacements for the withdrawals. But four of these were passed in so that clearly wasn’t acceptable to our clients. It just goes to show, you’re never too old to learn something new in this game!”

The Skews, who farm 2000 acres at Watts Creek Road and Reedy Flat and recently purchased a further 600 acres on the Great Alpine Road, produce calves for the annual mountain calf sales. They were looking for a good doing bull that had impressive estimated breeding values.

“He was the pick of the bulls, I thought – he has everything going for him,” Mr Skews said. “But I really didn’t think I was going to be able to afford him and when the bidding slowed a bit in the middle I put in a few – and then it was a bit of the rush of blood at the end,” he quipped.

“We’re very happy with him. He has all the attributes we are looking for – great EMA, great growth figures…we’re looking for easy doing animals because it doesn’t always rain here. “

The 914kg son of Newcomen Alcatraz is in the top 5 per cent of the breed for all the growth traits, in the top 10 per cent for intramuscular fat, top 15 per cent for eye muscle area and positive for rib and rump. Similarly, Karen Edwards and Maree Paton were repeat buyers happy with earlier purchases.

Karen and her husband Graeme Belcher bought the highest priced bull in 2008 and the second-highest priced bull at two other sales while Mrs Paton secured the top priced bull, a son of Faulkland Legion, at the 2010 sale.

This year, Mrs Edwards bought lot 4, an Alkira Zephyr son with positive meat figures and growth in the top 1 per cent of the breed. He weighed in heaviest of all the bulls at 928kg.

Mrs Paton again chose a Faulkland Legion son, securing the spring drop bull, Newcomen Ferryman sold at lot 25. The bull was in the top 5 per cent of the breed in all three growth traits as well as for eye muscle area.

Other bulls to draw spirited bidding were lot 5, by Arndo Czech, who was knocked down to Evan and Dorothy Newcomen for $9000, lot 17, who went to Craig and Jane Lloyd for $8500 and lot 24 who was sold to B & R Fitzgerald of Omeo also for $8500.

Repeat buyers were among those buying in volume, with Rhonda Treasure returning to purchase three bulls to a top of $4500: lot 1 by Charnock Keystone, lot 6 by Cowboy Thunderbolt and lot 12 by Parson Hill Testa Rossa.

B and F Hicks from the Corryong region returned to buy three bulls to a top of $6500, which they paid for lot 27 by Courallie Wingadee. They also bought the Talbalba Valiant bull at lot 21 for $3000 and lot 28 by Newcomen Alcatraz for $5500.

Eric, Melva, Tim and Kevin Woodgate of Gelantipy bought three to a top of $6000 after buying for the first time last year and K & P Hourigan from Leongatha bought three bulls to a top of $4500.

G & S Couper from near Mirboo North made the return trip for two bulls, paying up to $7000 for lot 15, a bull by Yavenvale Highlander. Omeo Pastoral Company and Bindi Station also bought two bulls each.
Sale details: 46 bulls offered, 39 bulls sold, av. $5436

2011 SALE RESULTS

DAY OF FIRSTS AT NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS’ 8TH ANNUAL SALE

NEWCOMEN Herefords had a complete clearance, recorded its best individual price, its highest average and achieved two other milestones in a memorable 8th annual on-property bull sale at Ensay, Victoria, last Wednesday, March 30, 2011. The stud offered and sold 44 bulls to a top of $14,000 and averaged $6193 in its best and most satisfying sale to date, but equally pleasing to stud principals Barry and Topsy Newcomen was the sale of their first Poll Hereford offering and surpassing $250,000 for the sale at auction of sons from their deceased foundation sire Kaludah Monopoly.

“It is an amazing result and very rewarding after years of developing the stud during tough drought years,” Barry Newcomen said. “It’s good to see so many people have the confidence in Herefords, the beef industry and the season to bid freely for good stock. We were lucky enough to witness it today and also at the calf sales a couple of weeks ago when we sold calves from the same breeding program that yielded today’s bulls.”

Dunoon Cattle Co of Holbrook paid the sale-topping price of $14,000 for Lot four, Newcomen Escort, which surpassed the stud’s previous best of $13,000 in 2006. Weighing in at 858kg, the Alkira Vancouver son impressed with good 400 and 600 day weights, an outstanding +4.5 Breedplan figure for eye muscle area and positive rib, rump and intramuscular fat scores.

“We have been paying particular attention to breeding for good eye muscle area and lot four was a perfect example of that at +4.5,” Mr Newcomen said. “Our average for the 44 catalogued bulls was +3.4, among the very highest in the Hereford breed.”

The sale got off to a cracking start with spirited bidding for lot one, a bull by Ardno Zanna who was eventually secured for $11,000 by Karen Edwards of Woodside. She went on to purchase lot 5 for $5500 and lot 27 for $6500. Another Ardno Zanna son, lot 8, Newcomen Evaluate, brought the second highest price of the day when knocked down at $13,000 to Vince and Di Pendergast of Benambra.

In the first of its four purchases for the day, McGauran Pastoral Company paid the next highest price of $12,000 for Lot 14, Newcomen Endeavour, a son of Newcomen Alcatraz with an EMA score of +4. The company followed up with $7500 for lot 26, Newcomen El Alamein, $6000 for lot 38 and $7500 for lot 42. Equal volume buyer of the sale, Rhonda Treasure also took home four bulls, paying to a top of $6000 for lot nine, a poll bull by Allendale Vengeance. Another $12,000 buy was lot 15, a spring-drop “pup” by RH Cowboy Blocker with good thickness and temperament who was secured by Ensay breeders Evan and Dot Newcomen. They also bought lot 43 for $3000.

Buyer of the 2010 top priced bull, Maree Paton, of Tallangatta returned to snap up lot 3, Newcomen Ember, for $9000 and first-time buyer at the Newcomen Herefords sale, Golly and Melva Woodgate from Buchan took home two bulls, lot 7 and lot 44, both for $4,500. Four bulls by Allendale Vengeance made up the stud’s first offering of Poll Hereford bulls and sold to a top of $9000 for lot 10, averaging $5625.

With the sale of the last of Kaludah Monopoly sons – lot 5 ($5500), lot 37 ($5000) and lot 39 ($2500) – progeny sold at auction from the stud’s foundation sire surpassed the $250,000 mark. Monopoly was purchased in 2002 for $24,000.

2010 SALE RESULTS

2009 SALE RESULTS

2008 SALE RESULTS

REPEAT BUYERS UNDERPIN NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS SALE

REPEAT buyers and tremendous local support helped Newcomen Herefords achieve an average of $3710 at its 5th annual on-property at Ensay on Wednesday. Buyers from the former Omeo Shire region bought 26 of the 38 bulls sold at auction, with Omeo breeders Peter and Charlie Smith paying an equal sale-topping price of $8000 for lot 28, a Silverton Governor son with an outstanding 600 day growth figure.

Equalling that sale topping price was repeat buyer and Woodside producer Graeme Belcher, who bought lot four, another Silverton Governor son with good growth figures across the board and plenty of muscle.

Stud owner Barry Newcomen was delighted with the sale, citing the repeat interest and local support as a highlight. “It’s great to see the producers above the gap so strong in the market after what has been a pretty torrid time for them,” Mr Newcomen said. “We can only hope that we get a good autumn break to really help them get back on their feet.”

Mr Belcher, who bought at the Newcomen Herefords second, third and fourth annual sales, returned looking for another bull to put some size into his herd.

“I like the fact that this bull had good growth for his birthweight – good size to birthweight ratio – and I’m looking to get some frame size,” Mr Belcher said.

The Smiths, who picked up lot 20 earlier in the catalogue, also liked the good growth to birthweight ratio of their purchase and said his good markings were important when onselling offspring at the weaner calf sales.

“He is a nice coloured bull and he is acclimatised to our conditions so you’re a step in front to start with,” Peter said. “And I like to see a bull with a low birthweight if the growth is there – you’re better off with smaller calves. They grow better than a big, dead one,” Charlie quipped.

Volume buyers included Ensay producers Evan Newcomen, who bought lot three and nine to a top of $7500, Ken Skews who bought two bulls to $5500 and Reece Newcomen who picked up two to $3000, while LR Lee and Son took home two purchases to a top of $3250.

Rhonda Treasure purchased three bulls to $2500 and JA Commins also picked up three bulls at $2000.

Details: 38 bulls to top of $8000, average $3710.

2007 SALE RESULTS

NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS ACHIEVES 90% CLEARANCE DESPITE DEVASTATING DROUGHT

BOOROOLA manager Laurie Bullen paid $12,500 for the top-priced bull while Mitta Valley breeder Phipps Turnbull and Gelantipy operation Glenshiel pastoral Company were the volume buyers at Newcomen Herefords stud sale at Ensay on Wednesday, 28 March 2007.

The stud, operated in the East Gippsland high country by Barry and Topsy Newcomen, achieved a 90 per cent clearance of the 41 bulls offered for a gross of $138,750 and an average of $3750. One of the passed-in bulls was sold immediately after the sale.

“It was a fantastic result, both the top price and the clearance,” Mr Newcomen said after the sale. “I didn’t really expect such a high clearance because of the drought and breeding herds being so depleted, so I’m absolutely delighted. I was also really pleased how well the bulls presented this year in such trying conditions and I think that’s a testament to the doing ability of the Hereford breed."

Mr Bullen, who manages the 12,000 acre property Booroola at Avenel in North East Victoria, purchased Newcomen Alberta after an extensive search for some new bloodlines to introduce into the Booroola herd. The son of Yarram Pompeii, out of a Newcomen cow with bloodlines going back to Ardno Hines, was a long, well balanced bull with an impressive top line and outstanding temperament. He had estimated breeding values in the top 5 per cent of the breed for 600 day growth and top 10 per cent for 200 day growth, with positive fat figures.

Volume buyer Phipps Turnbull made the journey over the mountain with Paull and Scollard’s Corryong agent Jeff Brindley to take home seven bulls to a top of $4500 for a Kaludah Monopoly spring-drop son. Trading as Liteck Pty Ltd, Mr Turnbull runs 600 head on undulating to hilly country in the Mitta Valley, near Tallangatta, selling mostly into the feedlots. His top-priced purchase was out of a Courallie stud cow purchased by Mr Newcomen in 2004 and was in the top 10 per cent for 600 day growth and top 20 per cent for 200 and 400 day growth.

Gelantipy’s Glenshiel Pastoral Company also showed strong support, buying six bulls including their top-priced purchase of a Kaludah Monopoly son for $3000.

Woodside producer Graeme Belcher paid the sale’s second-highest price of $9000 for a bull by Kaludah Monopoly that was in the top percentiles for scrotal and all the growth figures. Mr Newcomen bought Kaludah Monopoly as his foundation stud sire in 2002 at the Wodonga national sale and 13 of his sons grossed $47,000 at the sale last week, averaging $3615. Other buyers of multiple bulls included Evan and Dot Newcomen who bought two at $4000, Ensay’s Ken Skews bought two bulls to a top of $4500, Pendergast and Howe from Benambra paid $6000 and $2000 and Paul Marshall from Orbost also bought two.

Summary: 41 bulls to top of $12,500, average$3750.

2006 SALE RESULTS

KALUDAH MONOPOLY SON KEY TO REBUILDING FOR BUSHFIRE-RAVAGED OMEO BREEDERS

ALAN and Noeleen Smith paid a sale-topping price of $13,000 for a son of Kaludah Monopoly at the Newcomen Herefords third annual bull sale at Ensay on Wednesday 29 March, 2006, where 34 bulls sold for an average of $4257. The couple, whose Omeo property was devastated by the 2003 bushfires, snared the top-priced bull and a soft-coated, well marked son of Courallie Verdict for $5750.

The Smith’s run about 200 breeders, most of whom they saved from the fire by mustering them on to the river flats just before it hit. But they lost more than 40km of fencing and 1000 sheep, all their sheds including haysheds stacked with hay and a house in which Alan’s father lived. Their top-price purchase, Newcomen Zambia, was a heavy, easy doing bull which weighed 902kg and ranked in the top 5 per cent of the breed for 600-day weight, carcase weight, Eye Muscle Area and Retail Beef Yield; and in the top 10 per cent for 200-day and 400-day weights and scrotal size.

Repeat buyers Graeme and Karen Belcher of Woodside paid the second top price of the sale when they bought the 2004 spring-drop Alkira Vancouver son, Courallie Zone, for $9000. John and Gus Crisp of Omeo, who purchased the top-priced sire at each of the first two Newcomen Herefords sales, paid $8000 for Courallie Zookeeper, a Courallie Ultrasonic son which weighed 840kg and was in the top 5 per cent for scrotal and 400-day and 600-day weights. Ensay farmers Jane and Craig Lloyd went to $8250 for Newcomen Zulu, who weighed in at 860kg and was in the top 5 per cent for EMA.

Volume buyers included Peter Fraser of Ensay, who bought a bull by emerging sire Yavenvale Drawcard at $5500 and paid $4750 for one with EBV figures in the top 5 per cent for all the growth weights; Lewis and Sharon Pendergast of Benambra who paid $3750 for a Dunoon Perth son and $2000 for a bull by GVPC Fortitude; and David and Peg Barker of Mitta Mitta who paid $2250 twice. Gelantipy’s Glenshiel bought two at $3000 and $2500; Kent Park in Mt Taylor paid $3250 and $2000 and McGauran Pastoral Company purchased two for $5000 and $2750.

2005 SALE RESULTS

2004 SALE RESULTS

COMPLETE CLEARANCE AT NEWCOMEN HEREFORDS’ FIRST ANNUAL SALE

A complete clearance of 27 stud and commercial Hereford bulls selling to a top of $7500 heralded a successful debut for Barry and Topsy Newcomen into the stud stock industry at Ensay in March. Spirited bidding from buyers as far afield as Buckland Valley near Myrtleford, Wulgulmerang and Fish Creek, as well as local demand, helped push the gross to $101,000, with an average of $3741, at Newcomen Hereford’s first annual sale on March 24.

Gus and John Crisp, of Omeo, paid the sale topping price of $7500 for Newcomen Extract, a son of Dunoon Scotch ‘n’ Dry with outstanding EBV figures for eye muscle area. Registering in the top 5 per cent of the breed for EMA, Lot 4 was the first of two purchases for the Crisp partnership. They also snapped up Newcomen Expert by the popular sire, Courallie Pompeii, two bulls later for $4500. Alan and Noeleen Smith, also of Omeo, were successful bidders of lot 3, an impressive bull by the home-bred Newcomen Upmarket which brought $7000.

“It was a terrific result, especially after the season we’ve had. We had hoped it would go well, but to get a complete clearance and a top of $7500 has exceeded our expectations,” Barry Newcomen said. “One of the most pleasing aspects was the strong support from some of the region’s most respected calf sale breeders. To also attract buyers from further afield really capped off a successful day."

Newcomen Herefords was established two years ago on foundation stock from Dunoon Hereford Stud near Holbrook and represents an extension of Barry and Topsy’s successful commercial operation – which recently recorded the top price for steers and heifers at the Mountain weaner calf sales at Ensay.

Other buyers of multiple bulls at Newcomen Herefords’ on-property sale were Charlie and Peter Smith of Omeo, who bid to $6750 for Newcomen Exalt by Mawarra Lazarus and to $3500 for Newcomen Expanse, a commercial bull by Newcomen Upmarket. The Kelly and Roberts partnership of Omeo bought lot 5, Newcomen Example for $5000 and lot 24, Newcomen Excalibar for $2250. Example’s EBV figures puts him in the top 5 per cent of the breed for 200 day weight and 600 day weight, the top 10 per cent for 400 day weight and retail beef yield and the top 15 per cent for EMA. Orbost calf breeders Ashley and Tanya Gates took home lot 8, Newcomen Exotic for $4000 and Newcomen Excuse for $3000; Laurie and Robert Lee of Benambra purchased three bulls to $3500; Rhonda Treasure of Bairnsdale bought two bulls to $3250 and John Hall of Buckland Valley paid $3000 and $2000 for his two purchases. Tony Fitzgerald of Shannon Vale, Omeo, bought lot 7, a bull in the top 10 per cent of the breed for retail beef yield, for $5750.

Summary: 27 bulls to $7500, average $3741.

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