Bonnydale Black Simmental hits $14,000

The Introvigne family's dedicated and professional approach to its Simmental breeding program was deservingly rewarded with strong results across the sale.

Perhaps the most humbling result for the family was its first complete clearance at auction with 49 bulls representing three Simmental breed lines attracting a string of new and return buyers who bid competitively throughout the fixture.

The strong buying support from the 54 registered buyers, who were backed by the Elders network saw averages lift across all indicators to complete a stunning turnaround from last year's moderate sale result.

The Elders selling team lifted the overall sale average by $568 to $5265 compared to last year's sale where 33 of 53 bulls sold at auction to average $4697 with the sale grossing $103,000 more than last year at $258,000.

At the end of selling, the 22 Black Simmental yearling bulls had averaged $5773, up $802 from last year where 17 of 25 bulls sold at auction to average $4971, the 17 two-year-old traditional Simmental bulls averaged $4926, a $93 improvement on last year's sale where 12 of 17 bulls averaged $4833 while the team of 10 SimAngus yearling bulls recorded the biggest shift in values with the average up $1600 to $4725 from last year where 4 of 11 bulls averaged $3125.

Ian Collie, Collie Cattle Company and Triple C Black Simmental stud, Kyneton, Victoria, has been a strong supporter of the Bonnydale stud since the introduction of Black Simmental genetics into its stable, and again joined forces with Graham Loyd, Nell Partnership, Springsure, Queensland, to pay the sale's $14,000 top price for a Black Simmental bull.

Penned in lot three, the impressive Bonnydale Bettis J150 had high expectations prior to the sale and he didn't disappoint.

The 690kg polled bull, the heaviest yearling bull in the sale, was an embryo from renowned Black Simmental parentage of sire Triple C Bettis S72J and dam Bonnydale Georgia C219.

The mid-February 2013-drop calf's recent scan data yielded 8mm P8 fat, 7mm rump fat, 112cm2 EMA and 3.3 IMF.

The young bull also recorded impressive Breedplan data which was well above breed average for most traits and indexes including the top one per cent for domestic, northern and vealer indexes and the top 5pc for 200-day weight and export index.

Mr Collie also purchased the sale's $7500 top-priced SimAngus bull on behalf of Mr Loyd.

The polled January, 2013-drop Bonnydale Coonamble J302 was the second SimAngus bull into the ring and was also a strong pedigree embryo of sire Coonamble Z3 and dam Bonnydale Georgia.

At 688kg, the yearling bull was the heaviest SimAngus bull in the catalogue and recorded scan data of 9mm P8 fat, 7mm rump fat, 108cm2 EMA and 2.1 IMF.

But a -2.1 birthweight, sound growth and strong index figures (including top 1pc for export and northern indexes), made the bull an ideal heifer joining candidate.

Buyer Graham Loyd runs a commercial cow herd of Angus and Brangus females at Springsure, situated 330km west of Rockhampton, in Central Queensland.

He said the introduction of Black Simmental genetics into the herd is still in the trial phase and with the yearling bulls held over to join as two-year-olds, the first progeny from last year's top price bull is due to calve from September 2014.

"After 33 years as a livestock agent, I have seen all sorts of cattle in Queensland and Northern Territory and I have always liked the first cross Simmentals," he said.

"And with Black Simmentals, I can keep the black gene in the calves.

"With ticks and buffalo fly, it's important I buy clean, sleek-coated cattle.

"They are new leading polled genetics and with its weight for age we will be on the right track."

Mr Loyd said they produced EU-accredited bullocks and heifers which are processed in Central Queensland and average 300-320kg dressed weight.

There were numerous other stronger values paid for Black Simmental bulls including F Barreca & Son, Donnybrook, who outlaid the breed's $7250 second top price for a three quarter share in Bonnydale Bettis J120, a 620kg polled AI son of Triple C Bettis S72J.

ND & BJ Holdsworth, Bridgetown, paid $7000 and $6750 for two polled Black Simmental sires that were both sons of influential sire Triple C Bettis S72J.

Tellarup Brook, Manjimup, paid $6750 for another Triple C Bettis S72J polled son while AG & KP Carroll, Nannup, collected two polled Black Simmental bulls paying $6500 for a LRS Paramount 68M son and $6000 for a Triple C Singletary S3H son.

Volume buyer of the sale was Manjimup graziers, Rockbridge Holdings Pty Ltd with an account detailing two Black Simmental bulls ($5750-$6000) and two SimAngus bulls ($4750-$5750).

AG & SA Wolfe, Youngs Siding, also purchased multiple SimAngus lots paying to $4250 for two polled bulls.

The line-up of traditional Simmental bulls rounded out the sale this year with the second bull into the ring Bonnydale Lethal Weapon H54, creating a stir with two WA studs battling it out to claim the bull's services.

In the end the bull was knocked down for the sale's $11,000 second top price to Brad and Silvia Patterson, Bullock Hills stud, Woodanilling.

Lethal Weapon was a polled, April 2012-drop son of homebred parents Hyden and Gervase. Tipping the scales at 902kg, it was the heaviest bull in the catalogue.

The bull recorded above average EBVs for all measured traits with a top 5pc ranking for export and northern indexes and top 15pc for 600-day weight, retail beef yield, domestic and vealer indexes.

Mr Patterson said the bull would be used to back-up their AI program and offered a fresh injection of polled genetics into the Bullock Hills stud.

He said they had been following the progress of a few prospective sires but from the bulls that were available this year, the Bonnydale bull was the best polled bull to suit their needs.

"We are in the business of breeding polled Simmental cattle," Mr Patterson said.

"He is a masculine polled sire and we believe masculinity is so important when breeding polled cattle.

"Softness in his carcase, a beautiful stance and structurally correct with docility and mobility, he flowed."

Landmark Esperance agent Peter Gale representing HJ & MC Hann Pty Ltd, Esperance, paid the $7750 second top Simmental bull price for one of two bulls with the top bull a 808kg polled March 2012-drop son of Caringa Jet Stream.

BJ & FH Tomas, Nannup, also collected two Simmental bulls paying to $7500 for a 760kg polled April 2012-drop son of AI sire Woonallee Dimension.

G Boccuzzi & Co, Denmark, took home two bulls for $4000 each while AF & HM Hawley, Albany, parted with $5500 to secure a polled 800kg son of Bonnydale Helium.