BUYERS at the specialist F1 sale at Warrnambool today baked in the searing heat, however the sizzle was not in the market with prices back $150-$200 on last year.
Eleven-year-old Tyson Huchison from Heywood showed the older vendors how it was done when he topped the market with a pen of big bucket-reared Simmental-Fesian cross heifers, 2.5 years at $1050.
Many repeat buyers attend the sale, along with many familiar names in the vendor listing.
More than 250 heifers made above $1000 at this sale last year, while this year _ in a true refection on where the vealer market and the beef industry is placed at the moment _ there was only one pen.
However, while the tops were more than $200 off last years rates, there was alot of buying strength from $850 to $950.
Regular vendor Andrew Jack from Cudmore prepares heifers for this sale each year, and his top pen of Angus-Fresian heifers, 2.5 years, PTIC to Limousin bulls made $995, while his offering averaged about $875.
"I would definately say the market is $150-$200 back on last year," he said.
The best of the cows made $900 on two occasions for well-bred Angus-Fresian cows calving to a Limousin bull in February.
