A Zimbabwean man paid a record R8 million for a Boran bull Cyclone BH 18 749 at the Hurwitz Farming 10th Production Auction, held at the Bull Ring in Davel, Mpumalanga, on Saturday.
This exceptional bull was purchased by Collen Tafireyi of Sinyo Boran Stud in Zimbabwe. Tafireyi was ecstatic about the purchase, stating that he will use the bull to build a strong Boran stud in Zimbabwe.
“We are excited to have acquired this top bull. Cyclone is going to play a major role in our future plans in terms of breeding quality. Our plan is to breed the best of Borans in Zimbabwe. We want to put Zimbabwe on the map,” said Tafireyi.
B brothers Simeon and Jarren Hurwitz of Hurwitz Farming bred and sold Cyclone.
Simeon said the highlight of the auction was achieving a national breed record with Cyclone.
“Phenotypically, he is just superb. He is an unbelievable animal, close to faultless. On the genetics side, Cyclone was sired by Picasso, one of the most famous bulls in South Africa (In 2022, Picasso was tragically struck by lightning). All of Picasso’s progeny have done exceptionally well. To acquire something from Picasso shows the true merit of what Picasso was,” said Simeon.
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He further discussed the bull’s lineage, noting that Cyclone’s mother, Cremora, contributed to producing three exceptional herd sires.
“The flushing that we did using Picasso’s semen created three superstars. To have three phenomenal herd sires representing Hurwitz Farming in three African countries (Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa), is true credit to what we are trying to establish here at Hurwitz Farming, certainly within our Boran breed,” he added.
Reflecting on the auction, Simeon said: “The auction was a resounding success and exceeded all of our expectations. It was incredibly humbling to see how many people were here today. The offering was at the highest level. The buyers who were here showed their appreciation for what was on offer.”
