Stud and commercial buyers competed to push the sale average up by $7629 (compared to 2021) to set a new record average of $19,479 and a new top price of $64,000 at the Reiland autumn bull sale.

Interfaced with AuctionsPlus, the sale was hosted by the Lucas family at Killimicat Station, Tumut, drew 55 registered buyers.

A total of 71 bulls were offered and made a gross of $1,383,000.

New client, Ian Bates, Riddellvue Angus, Alexandra, Victoria, secured the top-priced bull, Lot 40, Reiland Ricochet R952, eclipsing the previous sale record of $38,000, which was set at the spring 2021 sale.

The 20-month-old bull weighed 736kg, had a scrotal circumference of 40cm, and was sired by Reiland Nimbo N116. Ricochet ranked in the top 3 per cent for calving ease, top 8 per cent for birth-weight, top 1 per cent for intramuscular fat and top 2 per cent for days to calving.

Reiland Angus retained 30 per cent semen and marketing rights in the elite sire, and he will be included in the bull team at World Wire Sires.

Mr Bates said Ricochet was the complete phenotypic and structural package.

"He is a good fleshing bull with a great number set from front to back, and he will do a great job in our program. He will be semen collected and used over our first-calf heifers," Mr Bates said.

As a former manager of Anvil Angus, Mr Bates had dealt with Reiland genetics in the past.

"It was a tremendous sale with a great set of bulls and a huge commercial interest which is great for the industry," he said.

Riddellvue was an old stud but revamped four years ago by Ian and now calves 300 registered females in spring and autumn, selling around 70 bulls a year.

Reiland Angus co-principal Mark Lucas described the result as overwhelming in both terms of clearance and the overall average.

"It was pleasing to see the bull we identified as clearly being one of the best we have ever bred in 50 years commanding a big figure of $64,000," Mr Lucas said.

"It's a wonderful experience to have a bull identified, recognised and located in a registered herd, and potentially across the Angus breed.

"The under-bidders on that bull were two commercial producers who had combined forces to buy an elite bull to use over their 800 heifers to input exceptional genetic gain at an economic figure.

"That bull is the second calf of the cow whose first calf Reiland Plymouth sold for $28,000.

"There were six new buyers and it was great to see the positive comments about the uniformity of the bulls on offer."

The second top-price of $46,000 was paid by long time clients Graham and Judy Houston, Houston Pastoral, Burrowye, for Reiland Ravish R718, a son of Reiland Kiwi K201.

Ravish ranked top 1 per cent for intramuscular fat on BREEDPLAN and Reiland retained 50 per cent semen and marketing rights.

Houston Pastoral also outlaid $44,000 on Reiland Rowan R929, which ranked top 8 per cent for intramuscular fat, top 5 per cent for feed efficiency, and $40,000 for Reiland Resource R513, ranking top 2 per cent for carcase weight, top 10 per cent for milk and top 15 per cent for intramuscular fat.

Houston Pastoral bought a total of nine bulls.

Dick Whale, Independent Breeding and Marketing Services, Wangaratta, bought eight bulls for an undisclosed client to a top of $34,000.

Nick Gilvarry, Elders Tumut, said repeat and new clients competed strongly with bulls for every type of buyer.

"There were a lot of commercial buyers wanting growth in the cattle, carcase traits and low birth-weight," Mr Gilvarry said.

"Our clients are having one of their best seasons yet, made some money out of their calves and are prepared to put it back into bulls."

Among the volume buyers were Bannister Station, Goulburn, with two bulls to a top of $25,000, River Run Farm, Currowan, three bulls to $20,000, Towong Hill Station, Towong Hill, with three bulls to $14,000, P and C Klippel, Berringama, with three bulls to $24,000, Riverview Wallah, Rugby, with five bulls to a top of $25,000, and Proudford Agricultural Company, Narrawa, with six bulls to a top of $28,000.

Tenandra Park Pastoral Co, Moss Vale, took home five bulls to a top of $10,000 and South Tahara Park, Wagga, bought two bulls to $15,000 while Peter Grieve, Talooby Angus, Rylstone, bought Reiland Reed R1033 for $20,000.