The team involved with preparing for and organising the Brookbora Jerseys’ 60th anniversary invitational sale, including (back) co-principals Daniel and Sandra Bacon and auctioneer Brian Leslie. Photo supplied by Brian Leslie.
A five-year-old cow sold at $30,000, an unjoined heifer sold at $12,000 and an unborn calf sold at $7200, at the Brookbora Jerseys’ 60th anniversary invitational elite sale, hosted by the Bacon family on May 28.
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The farm, at Tennyson, this year celebrates 60 years since the Brookbora herd was registered by the Bacon family. For 40 of those years, the late Robert (Bert) steered the breeding of the herd.
His legacy continues with widow Sandra and son Daniel, who this year achieved Premier Exhibitor and Breeder for Brookbora Jerseys for the fifth year in succession at International Dairy Week.
Sandra Bacon, co-principal of Brookbora Jerseys, said the sale reflected the work undertaken by Bert and their son, Daniel, to build the integrity of the herd and the farm.
The Bacon family milks 300 head on 283 irrigated hectares and the herd is consistently in the top one per cent for Balanced Performance Index (BPI) for Australian Jerseys.
For the past three decades, Brookbora Jerseys has held Jersey Australia’s Plantinum Production award.
The Brookbora invitational sale included 45 cattle from their own herd and 29 lots from outside vendors. The sale was held during a tour of farms in northern Victoria organised by Jersey Australia and prior to the organisation’s AGM.
Daniel Bacon said the idea for having an invitational sale occurred at the announcement of the inaugural Master Breeders.
“What stood out for me, talking with the other breeders, was how many of those animals went back to some great foundational cow families,” he said.
“We wanted to make this a compelling event for our breed, to celebrate Australian Jerseys and really showcase what our breed has to offer the business. And we wanted to include our Jersey friends in this celebration.”
Deep pedigrees that combine very high production, major show champions and considerable sire lines saturated the line-up of cattle on offer.
Several lots recently won at the Sydney Royal Show and the Gippsland, northern Victoria and South Australian autumn fairs. There were also daughters on offer from International Dairy Week and class winners.
The sale included nine cattle which Brookbora Jerseys exhibited, to great success, at this year’s Central Gippsland Jersey Fair, including Junior Champion Cow, Brookbora Standard Lady 366, and Intermediate Champion Cow, Brookbora Oliver Sleeping Beauty 3.
The sale also included daughters of Brookbora Eileen 130, which achieved Senior Champion Cow, and of Brookbora Vanahlem Enchantress, which was awarded Reserve Champion status in the Senior Cow class.
Lot 1A was Brookbora Casino Sandy EX92, a five-year-old, A2/A2, due to calve September to Brookbora Bushfield P. John Lindsay, of Hastings Jerseys, Huntingdon NSW, topped the bidding at $30,000 to purchase this cow. Photo: Bradley Cullen.
“The Brookbora principals have left no stone unturned to sell their absolute best breeding lines,” said Brian Leslie, selling agent with Dairy Livestock Services.
“Then they have gone out and selected the cream of the crop from all invited vendors, from right around Australia,” he said.
“The Jersey breed is fortunate to have folk like the Bacons, who continue to contribute to the betterment of the breed and the dairy community.”
Sale top was the buyer’s choice of Lot 1A or 1B. Lot 1A was Brookbora Casino Sandy EX92, a five-year-old, A2/A2, due to calve September to Brookbora Bushfield P. She was reserve senior champion at NSW State Show 2023.
Lot 1B was Brookbora Bashful Sweet Elfa P VG88, a 2.5-year-old, due to calve in August to Loxleigh Izuku Ventura.
John Lindsay, of Hastings Jerseys, Huntingdon, NSW, topped the bidding at $30,000 and chose Lot 1A.
He also purchased Lot 25, the five-year-old Brookbora Dainty 310 EX93 at $15,000, and paid $10,000 for Lot 27 Brookbora Standard Lady 324 EX91.
Lot 72, Brookbora Golden Glory 194 EX92, sold at $18,500 to the Koch family, Ashtaney Jerseys, Moculta, South Australia.
The 2024 Intermediate Champion from the Gippsland Jersey Fair, the three-year-old Brookbora Oliver Sleeping Beauty 3 EX90, sold as Lot 9 for $16,000, to Craigielea Jerseys, of Bamawm.
The number one gBPI heifer in the Jersey breed, Craigielea Vicky 6682, sold as Lot 17 at $16,000 to Jugiong Jerseys and Dr Mitch Crawford. She is a daughter of the number one BPI cow.
Jugiong Jerseys also paid $10,000 for the four-year-old cow, Lot 12, Brookbora Love Lies 804 EX90.
Jugiong Jerseys also sold Lot 20, Jugiong Daydream 8926, a calf, at $8000.
Lot 63, Brookbora ASKN Countess 2 VG88 Max, a two-year-old, sold at $14,500 to Rocky Allan, Rockstar Jerseys of Cobargo, NSW.
Simon Reid and Belinda Egan, of Jackiah Jerseys, Nilma, purchased Lot 73, Brookbora Golden Glory 197 EX91 Max, at $14,000. She was a recent show champion.
Jackiah Jerseys also purchased Lot 2A, Wanstead FCG Fernleafs Flame ET, a winter calf, A2A2, for $8000. This calf was put up by the consortium of R. & A. Heath, M. & L. Flemming and C. Moscript.
Jackiah Jerseys also sold Lot 50, Jackiah Victorious Silverbelle 3196 VG87, a three-year-old and in-calf to Ventura-P (sexed), at $13,000. She was purchased by the Watts family of Pyree, NSW.
The Watts family also spent $12,000 to purchase Lot 11, the two-year-old Brookbora Love Lies 839 VG87, who milked 400kg-plus of butter fat in her first lactation.
The same buyer purchased Lot 49, Warrion Canary 356, VG86 as a two-year-old, for $10,000.
Brookbora Jerseys purchased the western Victoria-bred cow, Lot 22, Lerida Park Matt Sabina 73 EX91 Max, for $14,000. She was entered into the sale by the Smethurst family, Princetown.
Brookbora Jerseys also purchased Lot 18, Shirlinn Roulette Dawn 2 ET, at $11,000. She is a winner from the Sydney Royal Show.
Lot 19, Araluen Park Starlord Molly 2 VG86 on her first lactation, a young cow with a BPI of +371 and in-calf to Big Red (sexed), sold at $13,000 to G. & N. Akers, Loxleigh Jerseys, Tallygaroopna.
The vendors of this young cow, Trevor Saunders and Anthea Day of Araluen Park, Yarragon, purchased Lot 32, Brookbora Standard Lady 366 P, in-calf to Ventura-P (sexed), for $9000.
Rob and Kerrie Anderson, Kings Ville Jerseys, Drouin West, paid $12,000 for Lot 26, Langdale Grant Rosella ET VG87 and on her first lactation, sent in by D. & A. Mathews. The Andersons also purchased Lot 36, Miami Tripp Elsie 7406 ET, for $5000.
R. Wilson, of Jamber Jerseys, NSW, purchased Lot 21, Brookbora Woodside Charo, an unjoined heifer, at $12,000.
Lot 48, Brookbora Craze Flora EX91, sold at $10,000 to Marks Bros, Winvarl Jerseys, Dorrigo, NSW.
The Canadian Avonlea prefix owners paid $10,000 for Lot 5, Brookbora Love Lies 900-P, for their breeding program. She is a daughter of Brookbora Love Lies 723 EX94.
Lot 74, and the final lot of the sale, was the buyer’s choice of an unborn calf, from embryos out of Brookbora Tbone Bonita 2 EX94 joined to Big Red.
Due in late July, Brookbora Jerseys will raise the calves to weaning, at which the buyer would make their selection. The choice of calf sold at $7200 to Kyle Barker, KYGA Genetics, Panmure, in western Victoria.
Lot 2B, the buyer’s choice of four July 2024 born heifers, out of embryo matches between Wanstead FCG Fernleafs Fantasy ET and Audibel Jordan ET, sold at $5000. These heifers have dam and sire lines that include Bushlea and Avonlea genetics.
Brookbora Jerseys co-principals Daniel and Sandra Bacon, with the late Robert (Bert) Bacon. Bert consolidated 40 years of breeding before he passed away in 2023. Photo supplied by Daniel Bacon.
Brian Leslie said this sale would go down in history as one of the great Jersey events of all time in Australia.
He said presentation of all sale lots and the sale facilities on-farm at Brookbora were outstanding and a great credit to all involved.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the depth of the animals on offer today,” he said.
“We have got an amazing group of animals on show here.”
Buyers were from nearly all states of Australia, apart from Western Australia, and from Canada and New Zealand.
The sale average was $7600, with a gross, from 70 head, of $531,800.
Twenty-eight cows averaged $10,445, 16 joined heifers averaged $6625, 24 unjoined heifers averaged $5250, and two unborn calves averaged $6100.
An online sale of 15 Brookbora Jersey bulls, saw 13 sold to an average of $3300.
Daniel Bacon said he was very happy with the results.
Bulls sold through the southern states and as far north as Queensland.
