WHEN game rancher Peter Bellingham parted with a cool R44m for a 25% stake in a buffalo bull, Horizon, in February he rewrote the record book in grand style in an industry where just a decade ago the record stood at R165,000.Valuing Horizon at a staggering R176m, Bellingham smashed the previous record of R40m paid by Johann Rupert for a buffalo bull in 2013. It is not the first time Horizon has set records. He first did it in 2012 when he was sold for R26m.“I always knew his value would rise but not to this level,” says Horizon’s breeder Jacques Malan. Three years ago deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa raised eyebrows when he bid R18m for a buffalo that eventually sold for R20m.Horizon’s claim to fame is his horn spread, a massive 55 inches tip to tip. It makes him a big money spinner as a breeding bull. “Annual returns of 20%-40% are realistic but returns of up to 80% have been made,” says Norman Adami, former SA Breweries executive chairman and part owner of Horizon.Buffalos are par...
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