Quality rather than quantity is the secret to success at Martindale Angus.
The stud, located at Lilydale, Tasmania, uses only elite genetics from the best sires the industry has to offer, and retains only the very best bulls bred at the property for sale.
This March will only be Martindale’s second annual autumn on-property sale hosted at the Powranna TLX, where five elite sires will go under the hammer.
The 16-17 month old Angus bulls are progeny of GB Fireball 672, Clunes Crossing Dusty M13 and Bubs Southern Charm AA31.
Martindale principal Troy Martin is looking for an ‘x-factor’ when selecting genetics to infuse into his stud, “It’s that something a little bit different for all the right reasons”.
“I look at the animal, how it carries itself, and drill right down into the animal’s EBVs (estimated breeding values) to ensure the traits we breed for are present in that sire.
“EBVs are obviously a very important tool that supports our selection process along with the animal’s phenotype. Animals with good feet is another very important trait we look out for as well,” he said.
“I talk to many breeders who have viewed and used those sires in the past followed up by intensive research into US Angus datasets. There’s a lot of work done by a lot of experts when it comes to fitting the right sire with the right females.”
GB Fireball is a bull ranked in the top 1 per cent of the breed in the US for Marbling as well as the $Grid, $Beef and $Combined indexes.
The two sons of GB Fireball 672 to be offered have impressive pedigrees on their dam’s sides as well, Mr Martin added, with Martindale Megastar S3 featuring Ardrossan Equator A241 and Papa Equator 2928 and Martindale Myth S4 boasts Clunes Crossing Dusty M13, Te Mania Berkley B1, and the world-renowned G A R Prophet.
“At 12 months of age, Megastar weighed-in at 585kg with a scrotal measurement of 40cm – he is incredibly appealing, exhibits all the phenotypic attributes, and is simply brilliant,” he said.
“While Myth provides an opportunity for those who choose to capture the legacy of proven generational sires, require added performance and real-world value.
The Clunes Crossing Dusty M13 son that will be offered up is Martindale Millenium S6, a bull that also features all the standout genetics mentioned already.
“Clunes Crossing Dusty M13 introduces calving ease, exceptional growth, docility, feet structure and desirable carcass traits for an all-round package,” Mr Martin said.
And it is the Bubs Southern Charm AA31 sons – thought to be the only two registered in Tasmania – that have excited the Martindale team for some time now.
“Bubs Southern Charm AA31 sire is now deceased and access to these superior genetics is all but exhausted in Australia,” Mr Martin said.
“Martindale Monolith S7 is deep-bodied and possesses an incredibly quiet temperament…at 12 months of age, Monolith weighed-in at incredible 665kg, has superior feed efficiency with a scrotal measurement of 43cm – the bull leaves a long-lasting impression on all who visit Martindale Angus.
“And Martindale Masterclass S8 weighed 670kg at 12 months, with a scrotal measurement of 43cm – he is an exceptional high-performance son of Bubs Southern Charm AA31 that would suit a variety of seedstock and commercial applications.”
Last year at the stud’s inaugural auction, all seven bulls offered by Martindale were snatched up by buyers who paid to $10,000 and averaged $6667, which offered exceptional value to clients for such high calibre sires.
The stud has grown and improved rapidly in its short time of operation, and Mr Martin said this comes down to a lot of hard work and research put into the development of female lines.
“We have bred cows that can calve easily, get in calf all the time when required and can give us good growth and fertility right through – building female bloodlines has been hard work, but the bulls we are using are giving us an impressive genetic background,” he said.
“As we breed the female line up, next year we will have twice as many bulls on offer, and we have some impressive sire lines coming through, including Australian record breaker Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 and Sitz Resilient 10208 – a bull which had progeny sell in the US last year for $500,000.”
Tasmania is having an exceptional season, Mr Martin said, with sentiment in the cattle industry still buoyant.
“My general expectation is we will see a slight reduction in the market, but it will still stay relatively high and profitable,” he said.
“Producers looking to add some x-factor to their herd the Martindale bulls are well worth coming and having a look at, especially the unique Bubs Southern Charm sons.”
This year’s sale will kick off at 4pm on Tuesday 21 March at Powranna TLX and be integrated with AuctionsPlus.
