This year his daughter, Carolyn and husband Phil Richardson topped the Hereford sale, being the fifth Hereford bull for Homeleigh to top the sale in recent years.

Lot 14 Homeleigh Barwick, a two year old bull sired by Glendan Park Top Gun W038, was purchased for $8,500 Daryl and Grant Ford of “Kiaka”, Monkerai.

The 50th anniversary sale was opened by agent Peter Norrie, who was a selling agent at the first sale in 1958.

“From memory, we had 100 bulls, that sold to an average of 100 guineas, or $210 dollars in today’s money,” he said.

Mr Norrie said he has watched the sale become the biggest all breeds bull sale in NSW, and at times, the biggest in Australia.

He said Gloucester has always been his favourite sale.

“In my last year with the company (Wesfarmers, now Landmark) I did more than 140 sales, but Gloucester remained as my favourite,” he said.

In the half century the sale has been running, a number of studs have been a permanent fixture in the sale catalogue, among them Gloucester’s Skibo Angus, owned by Ben and James Hooke, the Higgins family’s Curracabark Herefords and Homeleigh Herefords. JN Laurie and Sons Herefords were at the first and 50th sales, but have missed a handful in the past 10 years while Nigel and Stephen Binnie’s “Maeranie Herefords” have been at the Gloucester sale for 49 years.

Day one of the sale, last Wednesday, saw 65 Herefords and seven Poll Herefords offered.

Forty-eight out of 65 Herefords offered were sold with a top of $8,500, and an average of $3,427. The top average on Wednesday was Curracabark Herefords $4,375.

Two of the seven Poll Herefords offered sold, with a top price of $3,500, and an average of $2,750.

The top price was paid for Lot 77 Matcham Park Blitz from Richard and Sue Webb to The Glen Rural of “Linton” Barraba.