By Lloyd Phillips
The auction shed was chockablock for the Damview Brahmans bull sale held recently on the Braithwaite family’s Linwood Farm in KwaZulu-Natal’s Bergville district.
Online bidders also vied for some of the excellent and multi-award winning grey and red Brahman genetics that first Tony Braithwaite and now his son Ting have developed over the past 40 years.
Garth Saville of Garth Saville Marketing and Auction Services says 88 registered bidders vied for the 35 grey and 17 red Brahman bulls that auctioneer Brandon Leer offered on behalf of the Braithwaite family. All 52 bulls were sold for a collective R4 519 500.
The highest price for a grey Damview Brahman bull was R290 000 (R333 500 including VAT) for lot 5. The 37-month-old Damview Mr Ele Hunt 65 21 sold to Priscilla Dent of Double Bar Brahman Stud in KwaZulu-Natal’s Wartburg district. The purchase was in partnership with Donald Roseveare of Roseveare Trust in KwaZulu-Natal’s Otto’s Bluff district and Cules Kloppers of Vaalwater Brahmans in Limpopo’s Vaalwater district.
Lot 13 was the highest-priced red Damview Brahman bull of the auction. The 46-month-old Damview Mr Magnum 239 20 sold to Tracey Mapstone of ENM Brahmans in KwaZulu-Natal’s Underberg district for R180 000 (R207 000 including VAT).
Saville says the average price for the 35 grey bulls sold was R82 000 (R94 300 including VAT). For the auction’s 17 red bulls, the average price was R62 350 (R71 702 including VAT).
The average price achieved for all 52 bulls was R75 577 (R86 913 including VAT).
Before the sale, Leer told African Farming he was impressed with the latest strings of grey and red Brahman bulls bred by Damview. He was also spot-on with his expectations that lots 5 and 13 would be sought after by buyers.
Ting Braithwaite said after the sale: “I think the outcome is very positive given the times we’re all in. I’m very grateful for how things went. The bulls did well right through to the end. Overall, I’m happy.”
Dent said that when she first laid eyes on lot 5, “he became my first pick”.
“He’s going to bring a great deal to us and our stud. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to use him.”
On her purchase of lot 13, Mapstone said he is “an incredible bull”.
SwiftVee handled the online bidders.
