Record sales of an Aberdeen Angus bull in New Zealand

The sale took place on September 10 at the auction held by the KayJay Angus stud farm located in the Wairarapa region. The new owner of the bull named KayJay Captain W901 is Jeremy Caldwell representing Tapahia Angus Stud from Wanstead (Central Hawke’s Bay). The previous price record among yearling bulls was 29,000 dollars and was set at the 2025 auction by the Hallmark Angus farm located near Tutira. According to Jane Allen, General Manager of Angus New Zealand, this price record demonstrates strong confidence in the genetic programs of the organization's members and livestock breeders' investments in herd performance and profitability metrics.

The purchased yearling bull weighed 27 kg at birth, 335 kg at weaning, and 578 kg on the day of sale. According to Roddy Kiestrup, co-owner of KayJay Angus, the animal is a heifer's first calf and possesses such characteristics as calving ease, short gestation period, high growth rates, fat and intramuscular fat (IMF) indicators, as well as powerful muscling and strong bone structure. Jeremy Caldwell noted that he selected this animal to improve the traits of his yearling heifer herd due to a combination of physical and genetic data, including excellent leg conformation, strong constitution, and estimated breeding values (EBV).

In the coming weeks, the bull is expected to arrive at the farm after the completion of insurance procedures. The buyer reported that an Australian breeding stud has already contacted them to acquire the rights to the animal's seed in Australia.