Full clearance a bonus for Naranda

Relatively young in the stud breeding stakes, this was just Naranda's fourth bull sale but it was by far its best result.

Stud owners the Johnson family penned a line of 19 even bulls and they were appreciated by buyers on hand who pushed the top price to $6500, the average to $5421 and the gross to $103,000.

Coming off last year's sale where only six out of 15 bulls sold at auction, it would be an understatement to say the full clearance of bulls and significant rises in all the key numbers were pleasing for stud principal David Johnson.

In comparison, last year's sale grossed only $16,200 and averaged $3240.

With a sire battery based solely on Rennylea genetics, buyers are obviously warming to the performance of Naranda bulls and none moreso than Bob Reed, Esperance.

Mr Reed has bought from Naranda for most of its four selling years and this year put his hand up to take the $6500 top-priced animal of the sale.

This was paid for the bull in lot 5, Naranda K49, which was a son of Rennylea E533 and out of Rennylea V101.

K49 had EBV figures of +2.7 birthweight, +33 for 200-day weight, +67 for 400-day weight and +81 for 600-day weight.

Its Domestic, Heavy Grain and Heavy Grass indices were $103, $103 and $102 respectively.

Mr Reed said it was the fourth bull that he had bought from the Naranda stud and previous purchases had worked well for him.

"The top price bull is well muscled with sound feet and will be an ideal bull to use over heifers," he said.

Mr Reed runs a pure Angus and Red Angus herd and lot 5 was his only purchase on the day.

Setting the $6250 second top price of the sale was IR & JM Starcevich, Grass Patch, who paid that amount for Naranda K19.

K19 was a Rennylea F225 son and out of Naranda C12.

It was +4.3 for birthweight, +42 for 200-day weight, +78 for 400-day weight and +106 for 600-day weight.

Others to pay higher prices in the catalogue included Claylands, Gibson, which bought lot 8, Naranda K62 for $6000.

Also paying $6000 was repeat buyer John Sharpe, JC & SC Sharpe, Esperance, who paid this amount for a Rennylea G137 son. Mr Sharpe also paid $6000 for lot 17, a son of Rennylea F225.

Pleasant Valley Pastoral, Esperance, was prominent taking two bulls to a top of $6000, paid for a Rennylea E533 son. It then paid $5500 for Naranda K14, which was by Rennylea G137.

Another buyer to purchase two bulls at the sale was Les Yench, Le Bretlands Pastoral, Esperance, who was quick off the mark to secure lot 2 for $5000 and lot 3 for $5500.

Munglinup operation Featherstonehaugh Partners also purchased two bulls paying $5500 and $5000, while JW & B Dixon, Esperance, also paid to a top of $5500 for one of its two bulls.

Como Holdings, Esperance, took home two bulls, paying $6000 twice, while RJ & JA Thomason, Esperance, also joined the two-bull buy club, paying a top of $5250 for their purchases.

Landmark Brindley & Gale agent and auctioneer Neil Brindley congratulated the Johnson family on holding their best ever sale.

"The presentation of the bulls was excellent and again the result is an indication of where today's cattle market is at and the confidence buyers have in the industry," he said.