The owners of Chattan Angus Stud will disperse the last of their herd before the special sale at Wodonga Saleyards on Thursday.

“The stud represents a total of 24 years of experience in breeding stud angus cattle and with the property sold, as we move into retirement, this is a genuine dispersal of our remaining cattle,” Mr Shaw said.

“With none of our children wanting to take over the farm we have, over the past four years, gradually downsized the property and the herd as we prepared to retire.”

Chattan Angus was established in 1996, when the Shaws bought 80 stud females from the partial dispersal of Tulagi stud and 120 commercial females from Bushy Park.

Further cows have been bought through dispersal or reduction sales of Campbell Farms, Narrangullen and Boorhaman studs.

“The main objectives of our program have been to breed replacement heifers and sale bulls for temperament, fertility and conformation,” Mr Shaw said.

“A limited amount of artificial insemination has been used with both American and local sires, while major reliance has been placed on purchased sires and those of our own breeding.”

The cattle have only been shown in the ring twice but with much success.

“In 2006 at the Angus National Expo at Wodonga our sole entrant was the senior champion bull,” he said.

“And in 2005, 10 steers were entered in the RAS and DPI domestic feedlot carcass competition and won the major prize for best compliance rate to customer specification, along with the reserve champion carcass.”

The older cattle, selected fe-males and all the commercial cows had been sold, minus one standout APR heifer.

There are 30 stud and one APR cow and joined heifers in the herd.

He said they would be sold PTIC with the exception of three spring calving cows.

“These females represent the best of our breeding with the oldest from the 2004 drop,” he said.

“All of the cows are proven breeders.

“The 14 bulls represent a fine selection of guaranteed young sires and included Anvil Cassanova C141, just purchased this year, who has been joined to all of the autumn breeding cows.”

The sale starts at 10am and will be followed by an auction of 1500 cattle in a special sale.