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The 2011 La Rhone Prestige Spring
Sale took place at La Rhone Farm for
the first time. We are very
grateful towards Philip de Waal and
his team at Bossiesvlei,
Moorreesburg for accommodating us
for four years, but eventually the
time has come to move to home
ground. All the stops were pulled
out to make this first sale on the
farm a memorable one.
With the first enthusiasts already
arriving on the Thursday, we kicked
off with an informal barbecue.
Springtime in the Boland never
starts on 1 September and this year
was no exception with rain pouring
down on the Friday. This did not,
however, stop anybody! At about
13:00 La Rhone was alive with
potential buyers and enthusiasts
marking catalogues and scrutinizing
the sale animals. Leon Rall
feedlots provided a couple of
Limousin crossbreeds which clearly
showed why everybody should be using
a Limousin bull or two.
On Friday evening we hosted a dinner
where buyers, friends and sponsors
got together with nice ‘boerekos’
and good wines. On Saturday morning
the rain was gone and we were
blessed with a gorgeous sunny day.
The Limousins were all exhibited in
white pens with sponsors’ flags and
banners creating a real festive
atmosphere.
At 12:00 auctioneer Johan van der
Nest took up his microphone and
hammer and the sale began with some
250 guests gathered around the sale
ring. Lot 1, the current SA Senior
and Breed Champion Cow, LR0616
Fluff, with a bull calf by Hitman,
showed her exceptional quality and
feminity to bring down the hammer on
the new national record price of
R160 000 for her new owners, Johann
& Amien Eggers from the Kalahari
Stud. Lot 2,
HV0532 and her bull calf by Harry
Potter was grabbed by Chris and Thea
Gerber of the Christea Stud in
Trichardtsdal for R120 000.
Everybody seem to have been waiting
for Lot 4, the legendary Hitman,
Breedplan Bull of the Year 2010, and
current SA Junior Champion Limousin
bull. This offer lived up to the
expectations with another new
national record price of R280 000
for a Limousin bull. He was proudly
admired by new owners Johan Eggers,
John Devonport and Albertus van der
Merwe. Truly the greatest sire ever
to leave La Rhone!
Lot 6, Headboy, the current SA
Champion bull 21-24 months went
home with JC Steenkamp and family to
their Champo Stud near Wapadrand for
R130 000. The highest priced heifer
was Lot 21, LR0972 who was sold to
Kobus and Maryn van Tonder of Pumba
Stud for R60 000.00.
The Coetzees and Baas’e from Zirko
Limousins in Namibia bought a few
females, although the border is
still closed for bovines. Kerang
Hlabano came all the way from
Botswana to pick lot 13, Jameson,
for his stud.
Buyers who came for bulls for
commercial use hit some bargains
with outstanding commercial bulls
selling for between R22 000 and R50
000.
Enthusiastic bidding persisted and a
very successful sale was followed by
a steak braai at the premises. What
a privilege to make these
outstanding genetics available to
the South African industry. We will
proudly follow the traces that they
will leave throughout the country.
A wonderful weekend of Limousins and
friends came to an end on Sunday,
leaving us with some beautiful
memories created by this awesome
animals. |
