THE hot weather combined with a cooling cattle market, meant the 20th annual Countryman Invitation Bull Sale at Narrogin was unpredictable this year.
Of the seven breeds on offer, only a few sold to strong support while others felt the full effect of the fragile market as buyers erred on the cautious side.
But the outstanding quality of bulls across the board still gave buyers the opportunity to purchase excellent genetics at affordable prices, clearing 45 of the total 83 bulls to achieve a gross of $167,750 and an average of $3728.
Solid prices were achieved for those bulls that did sell and was reflected by the sale top price increasing from $8750 to $9000, once again achieved by a Poll Hereford bull.
This time it was John and Heidi Cowcher, Quaindering stud, Williams, which took the $9000 top price honours for their first bull on offer in lucky lot 13.
It was the second sale held at the WA College of Agriculture, Narrogin, after 18 years of selling at the Knutsford Selling Complex, Kojonup, and the sale came together with the combined efforts of 13 stud breeders and Elders, Landmark and Primaries.
Elders auctioneer Don Morgan said the quality of bulls on offer was very good but unfortunately the sale followed current beef market trends.
"This resulted in a disappointing clearance for many breed with buyers being very selective," he said.
"But some breeds sold well, including the Poll Herefords and Lincoln Reds."
His sentiments were echoed by Landmark auctioneer Deane Allen, who said despite the outstanding presentation of bulls it came down to supply and demand.
"The number of buyers purchasing was much lower than the number of bulls on offer," he said.
"People are also cutting back on spending so those that did purchase only got their minimum requirements."
Primaries auctioneer Jeff Lynn took the stand to sell 12 of the 15 Quaindering Poll Hereford bulls on offer, grossing $52,000 and achieving the highest average of $4333.
He said reaching the $9000 sale top price was a great result for both the Cowchers and Primaries.
p Poll Hereford
Mr Lynn came out firing when he took the auctioneer's gavel and buyers quickly saw why he was so animated as the first Quaindering sire entered the ring.
Quaindering Fell G056 turned several buyers' heads and rapidly drove the price up as it had all the right figures and conformation as a 1005kg bull packed with potential.
Graeme and Debbie Pyle, Glendale Poll Hereford stud, South Stirlings, pursued the bull until the $9000 top price had been reached and were very pleased with their newest recruit.
"He was just well put together and had the excellent length, smoothness and hindquarter we were after," Mrs Pyle said.
Strong supporters of the Quaindering genetics, quiet-natured Fell G056 was the third top bull the Pyles had purchased from the Quaindering stud and it would be used over 40 of their stud cows.
Born on Anzac Day in 2011, Fell G056 was out of Quaindering Olive C059 and sired by Kimbowmoss Fell 17, which was in the breed's top one per cent for its CWT and EMA.
The bull itself was in the top five per cent with EBVs of +34, +60 and +90 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights and recorded +6.0 for birthweight and +10 for milk.
Other buyers of Quaindering genetics included long-time Poll Hereford supporters Jeff and Joananne Gibbs, Boddington, who paid good money to secure Fell G036 for $7750.
James Pastoral, Karlgarin, bought two bulls for $3750 and $4500, while Hay River Grazing Co Pty Ltd, Mt Barker, also took home two for $3000 each.
The volume buyer for the breed were the Kelliher Brothers, Wandering, who were the only buyers to purchase from all three studs and ended up with seven to its name.
From the Quaindering line they purchased three sires, two for $3500 and a third for $3000 before purchasing the only two bulls for sale from Ian, Phil and Wendy McDougall's Lalla-Rhook stud, Wagin, for $3000 each.
The Kellihers also bought two sires from Terry and Sandy Woods' Terraneil stud, Beverley, for $3000 at the start of the sale.
Under the Terraneil banner, the Woods' offered 12 sires and sold seven to gross $24,250 and average $3464.
With a strong client base, both in WA and over east, Terraneil's $5750 top price bull was paid by Elders Narrogin branch manager Paul Keppel on behalf of Eastern States buyers P & N Dakin, Dubbo, New South Wales.
It was for young sire, Terraneil Genemarker G82 that had EBVs of +42 for carcase weight, +1.7 for EMA and +32, +52, +74 for its 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
Other Terraneil fans included Ravensthorpe buyers DC & DH Bray, who purchased two sires for $3000 each, as well as A McCallum & Son, Beverley, who took home one stylish bull for $3500.
p Lincoln Red
Like previous years, the Lincoln Reds again performed strongly with return vendors David and Kate Turner, Tone Park stud, Boyup Brook, clearing their four sires to a top of $6250 (twice) at a healthy $4875 average, which was up $1075 on last year.
It was Wayne and Katherine Murray, Murray Downs, Esperance, who were willing to pull out the big guns to secure Tone Park G7 for the $6250 equal top price.
G7 had great length and plenty of depth of body and for a March 2011-drop bull and was well grown for his age.
Sired by homebred sire Tone Park Z20 and out of Tone Park C1, it was clear many had circled this quality bull in their catalogues.
Mr Murray said this was the first time they had purchased a Lincoln Red bull from the Turner family.
"We wanted to try something new and having only bought Murray Grey and Red Angus sires before we thought a Lincoln Red would infuse different traits into our herd," he said.
"The deep-bodied, wide-muscled bull will be joined to a selection of our 50 Murray Grey-Charolais cross cows to produce calves for the domestic market."
Following G7 into the ring was sale counterpart Tone Park G6 (AI), which also caused a bidding frenzy before being knocked down at the equal $6250 top price.
The March 2011-drop calf which demonstrated an excellent hindquarter, was purchased by long-term buyer Trevor McIntosh, Youngs Siding.
Mr McIntosh said over the last eight to 10 years he had purchased about eight Tone Park sires and had inspected this particular bull on-property the week before the sale.
"He is a stylish sire and has a good temperament," he said.
"He will be joined to 35 Lincoln Red heifers out of the 180 breeders that I run."
The well-muscled, structurally sound bull was sired by St Fort Essex XP4115 and out of Tone Park B19.
The remaining April 2011-drop born calves, Tone Park G11 (AI) and Tone Park G17 (AI), found quick interest and were written down on account of J & J Thring Pastoral, Kaniva, Victoria, for $4000 and $3000 respectively.
p Murray Grey
The Murray Grey section of the sale was met with a lukewarm response from selective buyers, clearing 11 of the total 24 sires offered to gross $36,250 and average $3295.
As was the trend of the bull-buying season, buyers had their pick of the excellent Murray Grey genetics pooled by three well-known studs and it was Lindsay Bagshaw's Young Guns stud, Hyden, which achieved the breed's $4250 top price.
With the largest offering of 18 bulls, Young Guns had the numbers to cater to its clients' needs, with nine sires selling to average $3361 and gross $30,250.
Andrew and Jeremy James, BW James & Sons, Karlgarin, purchased the $4250 top-priced bull from the stud after they secured the burly Young Guns Gangster G62.
Gangster wasn't to be messed with after being sired by Young Guns El Dorado and out of Young Guns Mannequin with a birthweight of +4.5.
Described in the catalogue as having colossal thickness and excellent muscling, while maintaining softness, the deep-bodied bull had EBVs of +1.0 for EMA, and +23 for carcase weight while its 200, 400 and 600-day weights came in at +18, +29 and +45 respectively.
The James family have been Young Guns clients for more than 10 years and were also the stud's only volume buyer of the day, picking up three more sires for an average of $3167.
The rest of the five bulls were split between five buyers, including EB & EC Auld, Merredin, who paid $4000 and Lake Grace producers LP & MF Bushby who secured a Young Gun bull for $3500.
Cameron Harris, Nangara Murray Grey stud, Manjimup, offered two bulls, both of which sold for $3000 each which was paid by John Della Gola, Northcliffe and the Chapman family, Busselton.
Unfortunately David Corker's Wundam Park stud, Boyup Brook, struggled to find a buyer for his four bulls during the sale, but he did sell a three quarter share and possession of Wundam Park Galaxy G20 to Young Guns stud principal Lindsay Bagshaw for $7000 after the sale.
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The Shorthorn breed was back for another year and two vendors put forward a quality offering of 21 bulls.
But despite them being well presented, buyers were somewhat selective in their purchases.
When the last Shorthorn bull had left the ring, only eight had been sold under the hammer for an average of $3344.
Topping the Shorthorn run, which often consists of a colour splattering of red and roan bulls, was in fact a 754kg white sire offered by Horace and Sandra Panizza, Aprelia stud, Williams.
The low birthweight bull reached the height of $5500 when it was snapped up by new buyer Kim Payne, Boyanup.
Aprelia Galaxy G45 (P) was sired by Sprys Dynamic D004 and had EBV measurements of +1.6 for birthweight, +22, +29 and +37 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +32 for carcase weight, +4.1 for EMA and ranked in the top 10pc for IMF with +1.0.
The well-muscled bull was noted in the catalogue as a sire that would be suitable for mating Angus breeders to try to produce blue roan calves and this was exactly what Mr Payne intentions were.
"I want to try something different and this bull looks like the right type to do it with," he said.
"He is well-structured, thick and quiet and will be joined to second and third calvers in my herd of 120 Angus females."
Mr Payne hopes to keep the top quality blue roan females as future breeders and by infusing the hybrid vigour into his calves he hopes to sell them straight to a processor.
Losing bidder on the pearly white April 2011-drop calf was Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer who had been given phone instructions by Harvey producer Phil Hall.
Travelling from Esperance to secure an Aprelia sire of its choice was Hargate Park.
The operation paid $3250 for Aprelia Glamour Boy G51 (P) who was a son of Aprelia Ajax A21 and was ranked in the top 5pc for birthweight and in the top 25pc for export maternal index.
The remaining four Aprelia bulls which were knocked down under the hammer all sold to individual buyers at the reserve price of $3000.
S & M Sudholz, Piawanning, took home Aprelia Guy G52 (P) which was ranked in the top 1pc for milk and IMF, while Blythewood Beef Pty Ltd, Pinjarra, took a gamble on Aprelia Gambler G24 (P), which had a top EMA figure of +5.0.
Regular clients JM & H Della Gola, Northcliffe, were back to buy good genetics and bought a Narralda Armageddon A115 son at the $3000 price tag, while Martin & Flavel, Millbrook, weren't leaving empty handed and claimed the winning bid for Aprelia Gi G48 (P).
By the end of the Panizza family's run they had cleared six of the 17 bulls offered to a $3458 average.
Kicking off the Shorthorn offering this year was Catholic Agricultural College, Bindoon, when it put forward four sires and saw two sell at auction for $3000 each.
It was AN & EM Dalton, Kojonup, who were quickest off the mark and paid $3000 for lot 66, Statue Hill Gentle Guy G1 (P) (AI).
Sired by Sprys Just Right Z077 and out of a quality matron Neearra Wendy 63, the well-grown, lengthy sire had figures of -0.2 for birthweight, +6 for milk, +13, +16 and +25 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +24 for carcase weight, +3.4 for EMA and was positive in rib and rump fats.
Not leaving empty handed and taking home the last Statue Hill bull listed for $3000 was Scott Grazing, Chapman Valley.
Statue Hill Grenade G10 (P) (AI) was a soft, fleshy, deep bull sired by Sprays Just Right Z077 and had plenty of potential to offer with a low birthweight of +0.5.
p Red Poll
Once again flying the flag for the Red Poll breed was regular vendor Murray Williams, Yongerellen stud, Quairading, who offered and sold his one and only quality sire for $3000.
Purchasing the rich coloured, 19-month-old calf, which was medium in stature and out of a great milking female, was Landmark Corrigin representative Tony Douglass who bought on behalf of Peter Scott, Scott Grazing, Chapman Valley.
The stylish youngster exhibited all the correct attributes of the breed and was sired by Yongerellen Romeo Englander (AI) (ET) and out of Yongerellen Jacki Derrimut (AI).
Along with its outlook, the bull had been used over 2012 show heifers and had EBVs of +0.9 for birthweight, +10, +15 and +21 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
Jim Scott use to buy bulls from the stud many years ago and his son Peter has stuck to Yongerellen bloodlines and bought this young sire as he is in a re-building phase after drought.
Red Sands Red Poll stud put forward one bull at the sale but unfortunately the quality sire was overlooked on the day.
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Unfortunately, the Catholic Agricultural College Bindoon's Waterford Simmental stud failed to find a buyer this year, passing in its two impressive bulls under the hammer.
p Limousin
As was the case with the Simmentals, the Limousin breed didn't receive much interest from buyers at the sale as Lysgorran Limousin stud principal Geoff Lyster, Boddington, had one bull enter the ring to be passed in.