The vendors were smiling from ear to ear at this year’s Hunter Valley Limousin Sale with averages up by over $1,500 and a 97 percent clearance.

Agent, Peter MacCallum of MacCallum & Co, Scone, said the price hike was fuelled by a large number of local graziers present who had witnessed the premiums that Limousin-cross cattle attract at the weekly fat sales.

"Just a week before this sale we had a Limo-cross make 226 cents per kilo at Scone. They top the sales here nearly every week and I think that’s starting to have an effect," Mr MacCallum said.

Organisers commented that the audience of potential bidders that gathered at Scone before the sale was the largest they had seen in the sale’s 13-year history.

To the delight of the vendors it soon became apparent that they had remembered their cheque books, pushing the average to over $4,000 for bulls, a $1,500 increase on last years average.

Overall 37 out of 38 bulls sold to a top of $6,750 and an average of $4,006. Three out of three females were sold to a top of $2,700 and an average of $1,783.

Scone-based breeders Doug and Nikki Robertson of Turanville Limousin Stud scooped the pool, offering both the top priced bull and the top priced female of the sale.

Graeme Taylor of Reedy Creek via Scone purchased their two-year-old sire Turanville W35 for a sale topping $6,750.

Mr Taylor said he plans to use the young bull within his own commercial operation, supplying vealers for the Scone market.

Greg and Joan Stevens of Stevens Limousin Stud, Mudgee, purchased the top priced female, Turanville Mystique for $2,700.

The former Victorian breeders also presented their first offering for the sale, selling two young sires for $3,350 and $3,000 respectively.

Mr Stevens said he will use six-year-old Turanville Mystique in his own stud herd. She was presented joined and with a calf at foot by Turanville Ultimate Choice.

Currabubula breeders Phil and Barbara Bricknell of King Creek Limousins presented a line of seven sought after sires who averaged $4071, one of which received the second top-price of the sale.

King Creek Weightlifter, a son of Birubi Radiator, was knocked down to Greg and Joan Stevens for $6,250.

Len and Val Tomkins of the River Glen stud at Clarence Town presented two bulls for sale. River Glen Warrior and River Glen Willie Winkie sold for $5,000 and $5,500 respectively.

Charles and Vicky Carmichael of Timor Limousins saw strong bidding from a number of repeat commercial buyers for their offering of eight sires.

Their top price however came from Matt and Jenny Friend of Froghollow Limousins, Armidale, who purchased Timor Black Poll Walker for $5,000.

The Friend’s also enjoyed a strong sale themselves, offering four bulls, three of which sold for $4,000 and one which reached $3,250.

Terry Joy of Riviere Vue Limousins, Singleton, continued on his success from last year’s sale, selling his sole entry, Riviere Vue Watsupdoc, for $5,000.

Sale chairperson Vicky Carmichael was delighted with the result.

"It was excellent to see so many repeat commercial buyers present, and particularly to be rewarded with such a strong sale."

She added, "We’d seen strong prices in the Southern States fuelled by excellent prices for commercial Limousin vealers so we had hoped for the trend to continue at Scone and it did."

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