THE results of the Landmark Great Southern Blue Ribbon Bull Sale are always keenly awaited by the WA beef industry, as they provide a real gauge as to how the year's bull selling season is going to go.
And it appears that this year more records could be set throughout the selling season after the Mt Barker sale saw a massive $1241 increase in average compared to last year's.
With 60 of the 69 bulls selling under the hammer to a $6292 average, it was easily the best result seen at the sale, and is a key reflection of the current positivity surrounding WA's beef industry.
Last year 49 bulls sold under the hammer to average $5051.
After witnessing never before seen prices at the breeder sale preceding the bull sale, where lines of Angus-Friesian heifers sold to a top of $3340, the large crowd on offer were expecting to have to dig a little deeper into their pockets to purchase the bulls they were after this year.
All areas of last year's sale were easily eclipsed this year with the gross of $377,500 up $130,000 on last year, while the top price jumped by $4500 to $12,500.
The $12,500 top price honours went to the Ponderosa Angus stud, Albany.
Although one of the smallest offerings in the sale yarding, the Ponderosa bulls were well and truly in demand.
Buyers Wayne and Serena Matthews, Kangarabbi Farms, Narrikup, are keen supporters of local studs and have been buying Ponderosa bulls for the past five years.
They run a pure Angus herd of 400 breeders and sell calves through the Mt Barker saleyards each year.
"We were chasing the high growth figures of this bull, which were impressive," Mr Matthews said.
"He is just a good all round bull and we know the Ponderosa genetics work.
"The recent draft of calves we put through the saleyards were sold straight off their mothers and averaged $1300."
The top-priced bull, Ponderosa Hoover Dam L15, was an AI bull by US bull Hoover Dam. It was dropped on February 21, 2015 and was a calf at foot of the cow that won the supreme champion title at the 2015 Albany Show.
Hoover Dam L15 was high in growth, with a 200-day weight of +54, a 400-day weight of +98 and a 600-day weight of +129.
Its calving ease EBV was -0.8 and it was +25 for milk and +73 for carcase weight.
Charolais
As the sole Charolais bull vendor in the sale, the Quicksilver Charolais stud, Newdegate, kicked the sale off and it was in this offering that the $11,500 second top price was set.
This was paid for lot two of the sale by local beef producer Silverstone Livestock.
The bull, Quicksilver Lawman, was sired by Quicksilver Buckles and out of Quicksilver E70 and was deep and thick.
It registered EBVs of +1.3 for birthweight, +8 for 200-day weight, +11 400-day weight and +15 600-day weight.
According to Landmark Mt Barker agent Harry Carroll, Silverstone was looking for high end Charolais bulls.
"They are really working to a type and run mostly pure Charolais with some crossed over Murray Greys," Mr Carroll said.
"Their calves have been selling very well through the saleyards."
As the stud starting sale proceedings, Quicksilver set the bar high with all nine bulls it offered selling to gross $76,500 at an average of $8500.
Its second top price of $9000 was paid for Quicksilver Logo by Nannup producers OM Dunnet & Co.
Logo was a son of Quicksilver Hutchy and out of Quicksilver Dudette.
Two Quicksilver bulls sold to $8500, including lot one Quicksilver Landslide, which went to BJ Panizza, Albany, while KW & CR Frost, Kendenup, took home Quicksilver Lone Ranger for that same amount.
Four bulls then sold for $8000 with successful buyers at this value including BJ Panizza, Graham Ayres Livestock, Bornholm, EP & TJ Johnston and RJ Buegge Family Trust. The remaining Quicksilver bull sold for $7000 to EP & TJ Johnston.
Simmental
The Naracoopa Simmental stud, Denmark, continued the buoyant nature of the sale rolling when principals Kevin and Janice Hard led their team of nine bulls into the ring.
Competition on the Naracoopa bulls was fierce with the stud's top price of $10,000 set twice.
Repeat Naracoopa buyers Brian and Raelene Vigus, Tingledale, paid that amount for Naracoopa Lancelot.
Lancelot, which had terrific volume, was a Willandra Detroit son and had a calving ease EBV of -2.4 and a birthweight of +3.2. Its growth EBVs registered +21 for 200-day weight, +34 for 400-day weight and +45 for 600-day weight.
The Vigus' also paid $7000 for Naracoopa Lynch, a poll bull by Detroit.
Also paying $10,000 was Jeff Taylor, Mt Barker Transport. Another repeat buyer, Mr Taylor took home Naracoopa Lebron, a deep red bull with great depth.
Mr Taylor said he liked the size and softness of Lebron and that it was a "beautiful bull".
"He will go over 45 Simmental cows to breed replacements for our herd," Mr Taylor said.
"We are mostly Simmental with some Simmental-Angus cross cattle as well."
Lebron was by Bandeeka Hot Pepper and had growth EBVs of +23 200-day weight, +39 400-day weight and +58 600-day weight.
EA Maxton & Sons, Kalgan, were also keen on the Naracoopa offering outlaying $9000 for Naracoopa Leonardo.
Another Willandra Detroit son, Leonardo was +42 for 600-day weight and -3.7 for calving ease.
Others to buy in the Naracoopa line-up included Thornton Farms, Denmark, who paid $8000 apiece for two bulls and $5500 for a third.
JW Burton, Walpole, also paid to $8000, taking Naracoopa Larry home.
The WA College of Agriculture, Denmark's, Inlet Views stud, was the only other Simmental vendor in the sale and the students were pretty rapt with their results.
The College sold three of the four bulls it offered to a top of $7000 twice.
Esperance producers HJ & NC Hahn travelled to the sale keen to partake in the Inlet Views' offering and didn't leave disappointed taking home Inlet Views Livingston for $7000.
This bull was by Bonnydale Macho Man and had a birthweight of +0.4, a +17 200-day weight, +30 400-day weight and +33 600-day.
GAS & FA Pearce, Kendenup, paid $7000 for another Bonnydale Macho Man son, Inlet Views Lars. Lars' EBVs included a +0.2 birthweight, +13 200-day weight, +25 400-day and +34 600-day weight.
LE & AG Wolfe, Bornholm, bought the third Inlet Views bull paying $6000.
Angus
The Angus breed had the biggest numbers in the sale and it was Mason Valley stud that was the volume vendor with 17 bulls in total.
This was the most bulls the stud had offered at the sale and the increased offering certainly paid dividends.
In what was a terrific sale result for principals Darren and Narelle Burrow, they had a 100 per cent clearance and averaged $5941.
Repeat buyers, the Hortin family, Bornholm, were again keen to get their hands on the stud's genetics paying its $9000 top price for Mason Valley Lawless.
This son of home-bred Mason Valley Jet Set was a high growth rate bull, registering EBVs of +41 200-day weight, +76 400-day and +102 600-day weight.
The Hortins bought three bulls in total, paying $8000 and $7500 for the other two.
WJ & SJ Graham, Esperance, also liked what they saw in the Mason Valley offering and took home two bulls at $7500 each.
Stockdale Partners, Hyden, was another volume buyer with three bulls to a top of $6500.
Tomlinson Agricultural, Bremer Bay, was also dominant in the Mason Valley offering taking three bulls to a $5000 top.
BDT & RJ Vigus went to $6500 for a Mason Valley bull, while Willow Creek paid $6000 for one.
Following setting the top price for the sale, the Ponderosa stud cleared its remaining two bulls, with top price buyer, Kangarabbi Farms buttering up again to take the stud's second bull offered, Ponderosa Chisum, for $6000. DJ & JE Bell, Redmond, snapped up the other Ponderosa bull for $4500.
Ross and Noelle Smith, Ballawinna Angus stud, offered nine bulls this year and sold seven under the hammer to an average of $5214.
Yandilla Grazing wanted their top price bull and paid $8000 to secure it. The bull, Ballawinna Lager, was a son of Ballawinna Danny's Hero and registered EBvs of +51 200-day weight, +92 400-day and +126 600-day weight.
Tomlinson Agricultural took home two bulls from the Ballawinna offering paying $4000 apiece, while HD, AL & NJ Lindberg, bought a Pine Villa First Class son for $6500.
Red Angus
Graeme Smith's Kildarra stud offered the most bulls in the Red Angus offering with three.
The stud's top price of $5000 was paid by P & D Geddes, Millbrook.
This bull, Kildarra Lenard, was a Tronar Hiphop son and had a milk EBV of +11 and was +44 for 400-day weight.
Jeff Pyle & Co and PM Dunkeld bought the other Kildarra bulls paying $3500 each.
Mason Valley Angus stud offered one Red Angus bull in the sale, which sold to Harty Downs Farming, Redmond, for $4000.
Murray Grey
Viv Giles' Willawa Greys stud, Newdegate, was the only Murray Grey vendor at the sale.
The stud upped its offering from six bulls last year to eight this year and sold three under the hammer to average $4333.
Price Family Farms, Kalgan, was the top price buyer for the stud taking Willawa Greys Lincoln for $5000.
Lincoln was a Tarlina Coomunga son with a good frame and soft skin.
Its birthweight EBV was +3.1 and it was +16 for 200-day weight, +29 for 400-day and +38 for 600-day.
WK & B Thomas bought the other two Willawa Greys to sell under the hammer paying $4500 for one and $3500 for the other.
Shorthorn
Tarlinca Shorthorn stud put up a good representation of the breed at the sale with two bulls offered and sold.
A son of Crathes Futurity caught the eye of B & D Sloan who paid $3500 for the bull, while Neearra Impact son was bought by RM & LM Sanders, also for $3500.
Limousin
Rounding out the sale was a three-bull offering from the Shannalea Limousin stud. Stud principal Kevin Beal's return to the sale after an absence didn't disappoint, particularly a black bull that set the stud's top price.
Shannalea Leading Edge was a power-packed bull sired by Maryvale Hammertime and out of Shannalea Mary.
Fully polled, the bull attracted a lot of attention when it walked into the ring, but it was Sambwell Grazing that had the final $7000 bid on the bull.
Leading Edge registered a birthweight of +0.9 and +19, +31 and +47 for 200, 400 and 600-day weight respectively.
RM & NJ Nix, Boyup Brook, took home Shannalea Lucky for $4000, while Shannalea Lightning, another Hammertime son went to GB & L Kingdon, also for $4000.
