Former Springbok brothers, Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis – alongside their business partner and brother Tabbie – have seen their prized two-year-old bull, JAN 23-3125, fetch R1,1 million at the national Beefmaster auction in Parys.
Bred at the brothers’ Janmarck stud near Bethlehem, the elite bull’s seven-figure price tag marked a headline milestone for the Beefmaster Breeders’ Society’s 40th anniversary event, and reportedly ignited a fierce bidding war at the Afridome.
The former Springbok front rowers and World Cup champions, along with Tabbie, own the Janmarck Beefmaster stud located near Bethlehem in the Free State.
Here are the key details from the event:
- The Bull: Designated as JAN 23-3125, the elite Beefmaster bull had been used by the brothers within their own stud for two years before they decided to put him up for sale.
- The Milestone Event: The sale took place at the Afridome in Parys during the Beefmaster Breeders’ Society’s 40th anniversary celebrations. The auction was managed by Vleissentraal and brought down the hammer under auctioneer Ian Grobbelaar.
On the Janmark Beefmasters website, the bull was said to have been sired by Top Gun BOS 18 8154 (a record beefmaster bull) and dam BOS 10 0179 (their matriach cow).
“It is tough to sell a special bull like this but we know he will make any other breeder proud,” the brothers said. “He has always been special and he keeps on getting better. He is negative on all Myostatin Genes.”
Springbok brothers earn big bucks with bull breeding at stud farm
The brothers started their stud in 2013 with the purchase of five registered cows from Bos Blanco.
“From day one, our vision was clear: to focus solely on stud breeding, rather than building a commercial herd. While this approach meant a longer, more deliberate journey, we firmly believed that true value lies in selecting and developing genetic excellence – and that stud animals best capture that value,” their story reads.
“In 2017, we acquired our first animal at a national auction. The following year, in 2018, we hosted our first auction alongside Marnus Steyl – a major milestone in our farming journey.
“Strong maternal lines have always played a central role in our breeding philosophy. Because our father was previously involved in dairying, we understood early on that proven maternal lines are the cornerstone of a reliable breeding program. Without this foundation, there is no genetic consistency or stability in calves. With them, you can count on exceptional progeny year after year.”
History of success
In 2019, the Springboks brothers and sibling Tabbie sold their first bull beyond the R100,000 price tag. Since then, they’ve reached several key milestones:
- In 2017 they sold their first bull, JAN 1401 at Afridome at the National Beefmaster Auction to Jan Schoeman from Oktavia Beefmasters.
- In 2018 they sold their first stud bull, BOS 1348 to Paul van Vuuren from V8 Beefmasters in Vryburg.
- In 2019 they sold JAN 1502 to Guy Rensburg from Rensgrow Beefmasters in Komga, Eastern Cape.
- In 2020, sold JAN 1705 to Maritz Wolfaardt from Marnell Beefmasters from Hoopstad in the Free State.
- In 2021, Chris van Heerden & Christian Le Roux from Gantouw Beefmasters, Bronkhorstpruit acquired their highest priced bull at our auction, JAN 1905.
- In 2022, they set a new farm record when Beef on Grass Beefmasters from Warmbad bought JAN 1909 and achieved the highest price.
- In 2023 (JAN 2047) and 2024 (JAN 2150), Wynand & Philip from NGB Beefmasters purchased the most expensive bulls.
