Owners of Texas Powerplay bull plead for his return

Texas Powerplay’s owners have shot down rumours about his disappearance saying “why would we do anything that could tarnish our brand?”.

Owners of the $108,000 missing Angus bull “just want him back” and have pleaded for Texas Powerplay to be returned.

The Weekly Times revealed on Monday Texas Powerplay P613, purchased by Kelly Angus in syndication for $108,000 in 2020, vanished from the stud’s farm at Yea in Victoria’s North East.

“We are so completely bewildered by what has happened,” stud manager Patrick Joyce told The Weekly Times today.

“I am really hoping Powerplay is still alive, and you know what, if someone just put him in a set of yards or a paddock and let someone know, we would be so happy.

“This is a bull that would have done so much for the industry, with amazing figures, phenotype and temperament.

“He was the kind of bull that would have bred females that would have stayed in herds for generations and talked about for 20 years and it’s why we bought him so we could create a brand around him.”

Kelly Angus is a family-run stud, owned by Vicki Standish.

Vicki Standish is the owner of Kelly Angus.

Mr Joyce acknowledged rumours were swirling about what had happened to the bull, including that the stud was going to claim on insurance due to fertility issues.

“These rumours are so ridiculous – he is insured for infertility so if he had been infertile, we would have got our money back, but we don’t want the money – we want the bull for what he has done and could do for the stud and for the breed,” he said.

“Why would we do anything that could tarnish our brand?”

Kelly Angus farm manager Patrick Joyce

Mr Joyce told The Weekly Times of the initial process of trying to locate Powerplay on the property at Yea, which started with motorbikes, then had people walking across the farm before a private helicopter was chartered for a thorough check.

Now while they continue to run the stud operation, they are constantly searching with the hope that the bull will turn up.

Texas Powerplay was due to go on display at the end of this month as part of the stud’s open day, and his presence had been at the top of all the promotion of the upcoming event.

The bull’s offspring, most of which were born in late spring, were also expected to create plenty of interest for the stud.

Texas Powerplay P613 sold for $108,000 in 2020.

“We wanted to do great things with this bull, and we just want him back,” Mr Joyce said.

“If someone wants to leave him somewhere and let us know, that would be ideal.

“We are completely at a loss and want him back – it is as simple as that.”

A spokesman for Victoria Police at Alexandra declined to comment.

The marketers of Texas Powerplay speak of their shock

The marketers of the semen of the Texas Powerplay believe there is only a small chance he is still alive.

World Wide Sires, the sole marketer for the bull’s semen, said it was shocked one of their top semen sellers was missing.

WWS beef sales manager Dale Edwards told The Weekly Times it was difficult to imagine someone might have stolen and disposed of the bull out of spite or jealousy.

“I can’t imagine it was another breeder who did something deliberately to that bull, but we may never know,” he said.

“There are all sorts of rumours going round but all I can say is that we were intending to collect the bull for semen again very soon.

“We will now be keeping our existing semen for use in Australia, with the hope that perhaps if Powerplay is found, we can then collect again for the US market.”

Mr Edwards said there could also be the possibility that someone had opportunistically stolen Texas Powerplay P613 not knowing of his record price but just wanting any bull, and were now thinking “oh my goodness, what have we done”.

The Kelly Angus property at Yea in Victoria’s North East

“If someone has done this, they could drop Powerplay in a set of yards and we could deal with any biosecurity issues – it would be great to just get him back,” he said.

Mr Edwards said the first calves from Powerplay were born in spring, and as breeders saw their quality, demand for semen was expected to increase even before the bull disappeared.

WWS has decided to keep the semen cost at $60 for the limited amount of semen left.

Texas Powerplay P613 was reported missing late last week and a helicopter has been brought in to search for it.

Investigations by Victoria Police are continuing.