JUST on 40 potential buyers registered for Jim and Pam McGregor’s 20th annual on property Ardcairnie Angus bull sale, just south of Kojonup last Tuesday and they were presented with a catalogue of 88 April to July 2016 drop bulls backed by extensive breeding backgrounds and Estimated Breeding Values.
The catalogue of 88 bulls offered was up somewhat on last year when 69 were catalogued, the policy at Ardcairnie being that every bull for sale is offered in the sale.
Included in the sale catalogue with each bull being offered is an upset price and once this is bid the auction continues.
Elders stud stock auctioneer Nathan King had little trouble getting an opening bid running through the first 20 bulls, so much so that lot two with an upset price of $5000 was finally knocked down at $10,500 to RF & RE Walker, Donnybrook, who went on later to buy another at $7000.
However the top price on the day came just under halfway through the sale when lot 50 was offered.
So highly thought of by Jim and Pat McGregor, they earlier had 200 straws of semen collected for use in their stud with no further call on the bull.
With an upset price of $5750 (being the highest in the catalogue) this quickly rose to more than $10,000 and it became a two-way bidding tussle until at $12,250 it was knocked down to GMC Corporation, Denmark, bid by farm manager Greg Godden who had earlier bought one at $7500.
Mr Godden left before the sale had finished however principal of GMC Corporation Grant McCleary later said farming country west of Denmark had been purchased along with more than 200 top Angus mated cows as a new venture for the corporation.
Their new top sire, M218, is by Ardcairnie F96 and has a good mix of top Australian Angus studs and home bloodlines, hence the McGregors collecting the 200 straws of semen.
EBV’s for M218 include figures of + 54, +92 and + 136 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +16 milk, +122 mature cow weight, +7.7 EMA, $135 Angus Breeding Index, $116 Domestic Index, $142 Heavy Grain Index and $124 Heavy Grass Index.
Losing bidder on the top bull was a long-term buyer of Ardcairnie bulls, David Roe, Benalong Grazing Co, Gingin, who has earlier bought one at $10,250 being fourth top price of the sale and later in the catalogue Mr Roe secured another at $7000.
Two other long-term clients from the Gingin region were again active at the sale with two going at up to $8000 to Steve Neville, Old Bambun, another two at up to $9000 bought by Murray Butler on behalf of Allan Greenwell, Bullrush Farm, his $9000 purchase the winner of the 2.5 litres of Dectomax donated by Ben Fletcher, Zoetis.
The second highest price on the day was $11,000 – this paid for one of nine bulls bought by Terry Cockman, accompanied by his daughter Jenny, who as a family, trade as Tebco Fishing Co, Dongara.
This was somewhat of a repeat on last year when the family bought 11 bulls from that sale at up to $9200.
Their now 20 Ardcairnie bulls and others are being used over 1400 Angus breeders on the families farming interests in the Three Springs region with assistance in this recent venture coming from Elders Gary Preston and Craig Forsyth, also of Dongara who bought two bulls from Tuesday’s sale.
Also pleasing for Jim and Pam McGregor was that among the 26 buyers who went home having bought from the offering, seven were first time buyers to their stud.
With much of the overall support coming from more traditional cattle regions, two bulls up to $9000 are heading out east, bought by Peter and Donna Watkinson, Milnthorpe Farm, Lake Grace, who were among those first time buyers.
There were 11 buyers who went home having bought two from the sale and two regular clients requiring more were Ric and Alison Wheatley, RG & AP Wheatley, Winjenup, who trucked three home and Tracey Smith, Yarralena Grazing, Cranbrook, from her selections ended up with four.
Such dedication to their breed sees Pam McGregor have a light luncheon for all of fresh buns filled with scotch fillet from Willowbank Angus Beef from the Beef Shop in Maddington.
Of the 88 bulls offered 51 sold at auction to a top of $12,250 to average $6368.
Commenting after the sale Jim McGregor said it has always been their objective to breed bulls that dedicated beef breeders can use to help them make a profit out of breeding cattle.
“The result has been very pleasing, the sale attracting seven first time buyers to our stud and we are getting excellent feedback from our long term clients,” Mr McGregor said.
Speaking on behalf of the selling agents, Elders auctioneer Nathan King said the increase in the number offered of 88 bulls was up by 19 on last year, however it gave potential buyers the opportunity to inspect all the Ardcairnie bulls currently available for sale.
He said with the overall average of the sale slightly back on last year this was in line with current trade cattle values which are also down on this time last year.
