15 Otahuna Red Polls Bought For Australia

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28267, 3 May 1957, Page 10

15 Otahuna Red Polls Bought For Australia

When New Zealand’s oldest and largest Red Poll herd was offered f< - sale by auction at Otahuna, Tai Tapu, yesterday, Australian buyers took 15 head for a total price of almost 700 guineas. The proceeds of the sale of the herd, which was established in 1898 by Sir R Heaton Rhodes, were a little more than 5200 gns, representing an average of about 33 gns for each of the 158 lots offered.

Top price of the day was 140 gns paid by an Australian buyer foi the four-year-old bull, Lydney Airman, the senior herd sire, which was obtained in 1955 by Sir Heaton Rhodes from Viscount Bledisloe’s Lydney Park stud in England. Females realised up to 75 guineas. Considerable interest was shown in the sale with buyers from all parts of the South Island.

Mr L. C. Anderson, of Wanganui, who is president of the New Zealand Red Poll Cattle Breeders’ Association, and Mr C. Miles, of Taumaionui, who is a vice-presi-dent, were among buyers. Accommodation around the selling ring, which had been set up in the milking yard, was overtaxed and many had to watch the sale from the entrance to the yards. A complete clearance was effected of the whole herd in quick time. Some of the Otahuna cattle went to relatives of Sir Heaton Rhodes. Mrs P. R. Woodhouse, of Bluecliffs, South Canterbury, whose father was a first cousin of Sir Heaton Rhodes, bought a cow and Mr S. E. Rhodes, of Wanganui, who is a second cousin, bought a bull, two cows and two calves. Mr M. M. Fleming, who has been manager at Otahuna for the last 25 years, bought 12 of the females. Australian Buyer Australian buying was done by Mr Owen Reeks, of Reeks Bros., Crownlea, Tarana, New South Wales. The Reeks Bros., who have a small hill country property in central western New South Wales, scored two firsts, a second, and a third with three bulls they exhibited at the Royal Sydney Show last month, and they gained the highest price for Red private sales-—225 guineas and 300

guineas respectively. Lydney Airman will go to the Reeks property. Mr Reeks was also buying for Mr A. J. Harvey, of Walgett, New South Wales, Mr H. Stein, of Penrith, New South Wales, and Mr H. Maund, a Sydney lawyer, who has a property on the southern coast of the state. He paid from 25 guineas to 65 guineas for 12 cows, 37>/ 2 guineas for a three-year-old heifer, and 140 guineas and 50 guineas for bulls. For the 15 head he paid 695 guineas. Seventy-three adult cows, 14 with calves running with them, averaged 37 1-3 guineas each. Eight sales were made at 50 guineas or more. For six-year-old Otahuna Molly the 38th Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd., as agents, paid 75 guineas. Reeks Bros, gave 65 guineas for six-year-old Otahuna Madeline the 71st, and 60 guineas was realised for eight-year-old Otahuna Christina the 12th, which went to J. T. Prosser (Leeston). Six-year-old Otahuna Christina the 15th, which was bought by R. Ward-Smith (Ladbrooks), and six-year-old Otahuna Yvonne the 6th secured by S. E. Rhodes (Wanganui)

At 50 guineas five-year-old Otahuna Rosebud the 21st was purchased by H. Stein (Penrith, New South Wales). Otahuna Christina the 13th (born in September, 1949) by F. Bassett (Fernside), Otahuna Madeline the 83rd, aged five, by M. M. Fleming, and Otahuna Rosebud the Bth and a bull calf by G. H. Squires (Cave). Heifer Prices For 20 three-year-old heifers, the average price was almost 33 guineas, with the leading prices being paid by K. Austin (Kaiapoi) for Otahuna Molly the 58th, and by E. R Hampton (Timaru) for Otahuna Christina the 24th. They gave 60 guineas and 50 guineas respectively. In the two-year-old section. 21 head sold at an average of 31 2-3 guineas, with the top price, 50 guineas, given by Mr Fleming for Otahuna Christina the 29th. Twenty-two yearling heifers found buyers at an average of 19% guineas each. Prices ranged up to 23 guineas for Otahuna Madeline the Illth, which was bought by C. Redfern (Darfield). Thirteen calves realised from 12*i guineas to 28 guineas—an average of 183 guineas. Nine bulls were offered. These averaged a fraction less than 58 guineas. Apart from Lydney Airman, which was sold to Mr Reeks for 140 guineas, two-year-old Otahuna Randolph was knocked down to L. C. Anderson (Wanganui) at 75 guineas; Otahuna Sahib was sold to E. Dowling (Blenheim) for 65 guineas; S. E. Rhodes bought Otahuna Select at 60 guineas; and Mr Reeks purchased Otahuna Renown at 50 guineas. Poll bulls recorded in auction and