The two-year-old Angus Bull which sold for $85,000 at auction in Marlborough. Credit: Angus New Zealand Facebook.WK would like to congratulate the Hickman family from Ward on their record making Angus Bull sale conducted at their property, “Taimate”, last week.
The inter-generational farming business, Taimate Angus, has been in the family since 1905 and is now run by Paul and John Hickman along with their wives Nadine and Andrea.
Paul Hickman is the Stud and Farm Manager responsible for the sale of the two-year-old bull, which weighed in at 870 kilograms and fetched $85,000 at the fall of the hammer.
The sale is believed to be a record for a South Island Angus bull.
WK Senior Advisor Greg Newman says the sale was a huge achievement for Taimate Angus.
“It’s an amazing achievement for Paul and the team at Taimate Angus, and a testament to the work they put into raising top quality bulls that are sought throughout New Zealand by buyers looking for bulls that can handle the dry and testing conditions on the East Coast of Marlborough,” he says.
“Paul works hard to achieve high standards with his stock, studying genetics and working to achieve the perfect bull, and the auction last week was proof of that work.”
The bull was sold to Gisborne-based Turihaua Angus, where it would be used in their breeding programme.
It was one of 65 bulls sold by Taimate Angus at the auction, receiving an average price of nearly $14,000 per bull, in itself breaking another South Island record.
Paul’s previous record for an Angus Bull was $20,000.
The New Zealand record price for an Angus Bull is believed to have been around $150,000, achieved in the mid-nineties.