When Woolsthorpe beef producer Jon Jackson offers his cast-for-age cows each spring and autumn, buyers know they are getting the best—not just the rest—of that particular drop.
Earlier this month on AuctionsPlus, Jon offered 52 pure Te Mania Angus blood PTIC cows, selling the entire lot for up to $2,700 to a commercial producer in Heywood.
It was an astonishing result in what remains a tough, dry season in his region, with prices reaching $700 above reserve and $400–$500 above expectations.
While the sale had only a 41% clearance across the board, Jon achieved a total clearance and easily topped the market in challenging conditions.
It was a fitting reward for his lifelong commitment to genetic excellence, founded on his 30-year association with Mortlake-based Te Mania Angus.
“Yes, it was a really good result on the day, but you have to remember it costs a lot to get your cattle to that stage, particularly as we run a 100% AI operation, with our 1,100-head cow herd split evenly between calvings in March/April and September/October,” Jon explained. “Because here, in a normal year, it’s too wet in the winter.”
“It’s also always encouraging to score top price at a sale—and to sell everything you offer,” he said.
“We sell out of the spring and autumn like this each year, and we don’t hold anything back. Every cow in that drop is on the market, so people are accessing the best we have.”
The sale cows averaged 673.5kg at delivery, with a weight range from 566kg to 846kg. At six years old, they displayed great volume, length, and depth.
Operating through Tim King at Stock Direct, Jon said that while his CFA cattle always sell well, this was still one of the best results he has had.
And he credits that to his genetics.
“We know they are working because the feedlot we trade with is always looking for them, and each year our marble score keeps climbing thanks to the genetics we get from Te Mania Angus,” Jon said.
“The only way we sell is direct—either straight to the feedlot at Rangers Valley or through AuctionsPlus—and people know the power of the Te Mania Angus brand. I know they come looking not just for our cattle, but for any TMA-blood cattle,” he added.
“With their annual on-property bull sale on March 5, it’s just another opportunity to top up on the genetics that work so well for producers like us. Genetics are a massive part of the production puzzle you try to piece together every year.”
