A TULLIBARDINE Angus bull hit the top price of $11,000 at last week’s Tullibardine Angus and Murray Grey stud bull sale.
It was another quality line-up of black and grey bulls presented by Tullibardine principals Alastair and Jenny Murray, and once again the stud’s loyal clientele turned up to boost their sire stocks.
With Landmark auctioneer Tiny Holly in charge of proceedings, the sale kicked off with the Angus line-up of bulls.
This year the Tullibardine stud offered up 25 Angus bulls with 20 selling under the hammer at a $6775 average.
As per most bull sales this year, this average was back slightly on last year where 25 bulls were offered and sold at a $7310 average.
In the Murray Grey section, 22 bulls were offered and 14 sold under the hammer at a top of $8000 and a $5464 average.
This average bucked the decline in average trend as it was $201 up on last year’s sale where 19 bulls sold under the hammer.
The top-priced bull sauntered into the ring at lot five, and with plenty of talk about the bull prior to the sale there was an expectation it might make good money.
It certainly did and it was a long-time client of the Tullibardine stud, the Hortin family, Torbay, which withstood the competition to be the eventual top price buyer.
The $11,000 top-priced bull, Tullibardine Magic Mike M117, was a Millah Murrah Conversion J42 son that was dropped on March 28, 2016, and out of Tullibardine Katrine F119.
The bull had figures of +6.6 birthweight, +45, +80 and +108 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
The bull weighed in at 946kg.
Rob Hortin said Magic Mike was a good, soft, well-bodied bull that was deep in the hindquarter.
“The Millah Murrah sire represents a new bloodline for us and so we were pretty keen on getting this bull,” Mr Hortin said.
The bull will be used in the Hortin’s first-cross Angus-Friesian herd to produce vealer calves that go to Woolworths.
The family purchased three bulls in total, also paying the $10,000 second top price for their other two bulls.
The first of these bulls was lot three, Tullibardine Mercenary M118.
This bull was a younger calf dropped on April 6, 2016 and was by Diamond Tree Performer, a bloodline that the Hortins had used before in their herd through Tullibardine bulls and one that they are pleased with.
Mercenary was +4.6 birthweight and +43, +82 and +112 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
Its rump fat figure of +1.7 put it in the top 10 per cent of the breed and the bull weighed in at 900kg.
The third bull bought by the Hortins was Tullibardine Mufasa M98, a bull sired by Koojan Hills Unlimited.
The March 19, 2016-drop bull weighed 866kg and was +3.6 birthweight.
Other EBV figures included +36, +63 and +80 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
Next best in the price stakes was $9500, set in the middle of the catalogue at lot 14, for Tullibardine Machacho M105, another Millah Murrah Conversion J42 son.
Machacho was bought by close neighbour to the Murrays, DJ & BE Bell, Redmond.
The 830kg bull recorded EBVs of +4.4 birthweight and +42, +80 and +89 for 200, 400 and for 600-day weights.
It was +55 carcase weight and +0.4 rump fat and its Angus Breeding Index was +93, while its Domestic Index was +106.
Other bulls to sell well included lot two, Tullibardine Master Plan M92, which went to Pyle Bros, Takalarup, for $9000.
Master Plan was a Koojan Hills Unlimited F237 son and was +44, +82 and +109 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
At 964kg, Master Plan was the second heaviest bull in the catalogue.
Pyle Bros also paid $5500 for the bull in lot 12, which was a commercial bull.
Lot 20 in the catalogue, Tullibardine Marbles M119, also made $9000 when it was bought by Stewart and Sheena Smith, Narrikup.
Marbles was another Millah Murrah Conversion J42 son.
Also a heavy bull, Marbles weighed in at 930kg and was pretty handy on the figures side being in the top 15pc for 200-day weight (+51), top 20pc for 400-day weight (+89) and 600-day weight (+118).
It was also in the top 20pc for EMA at +6.4 and in the top 5pc for retail beef yield at +2.1.
Other buyers to pay reasonable values included EP & TJ Johnston & Sons, Millbrook, who outlaid $8500 for the 968kg Tullibardine McDondalds M101, which was the heaviest bull in the Angus team.
RE Fenny, East Victoria Park, paid $7000 for lot one Tullibardine Mix Master M122, while Jeff Pyle & Co, Manypeaks, paid $6500 and $5500 for its two bulls.
Long-term Tullibardine clients Chris and Jarrad Norton, Narrikup, went to $6000 for one Angus bull, while David Parnell & Co, Willyung, paid $6500 for a Diamond Tree Performer Son.
In the Murray Grey offering it was Kojonup buyer Frank Leusciatti, M & L Leusciatti & Son, Kojonup, that took home the $8000 top-priced bull.
A Tullibardine High Noon H32 son, Tullibardine Miami Vice M60 was out of Tullibardine Belinda F84 and weighed 760kg.
Mr Leusciatti was a repeat Tullibardine buyer, with this bull the fourth he had bought from the stud.
“We run 50 Murray Grey breeders and I was looking for a bull that would go over the heifers and smaller cows in the herd,” Mr Leusciatti said.
“We mostly sell calves straight off their mums through the Mt Barker saleyards and we actually topped the sale when we sold them last year.
“Depending what is happening with prices we are happy to keep them and wean them and hold onto them a bit longer if need be.”
Miami Vice was +3.9 birthweight, +21, +31 and +51 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
The bull had a raw EMA score of 124cm2 and was 5.6 for frame score.
The $7000 second top price bull is heading over east with Charles Wallace, Woodbourn Murray Grey stud, Cressy, Tasmania, the successful bidder.
This bull, Tullibardine Magnum M20, was a Melaleuca Jeep 52 son and weighed 898kg.
In terms of figures, the bull recorded +23, +40 and +61 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
It was 43cm for scrotal size and had a raw EMA of 114cm2.
Four bulls made the third top price of $6500 and this included the third bull to be offered, Tullibardine Mars Bar M13, which sold to AW & JA Dell’Anna, Napier.
Mars Bar was a 902kg bull that shone in the growth figures with a +35 200-day weight (top 5pc), as well as +64 and +92 for 400 and 600-day weights (both top 1pc).
It had a frame score 6.2 and had an EMA of 115cm2.
The Dell’Anna’s also paid $4000 for a second bull.
Others to pay $6500 included MJ & SG Liddiard, Napier, who bought Tullibardine Money Maker M41.
Another good growthy bull, Money Maker weighed 832kg and was +24, +38 and +61 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
Merinvale Grazing, Albany, was another buyer to pay $6500 when it was successful on Tullibardine Magician M1.
Magician was in the top 10pc of the breed for 600-day weight (+72) and top 5pc for EMA (+2.9) and retail beef yield (+2.1).
Merinvale was also successful on another grey, paying $4000 for Tullibardine Mainbreak M90.
The fourth buyer to hit the $6500 mark was another repeat buyer, KW & CR Frost, Kendenup.
They purchased Tullibardine Memphis M24, a bull that was +3.4 birthweight and +15, +27 and +36 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
The Frosts were also successful on two other bulls paying $5500 and $4000 respectively.
Larussa Assets, Gingin, paid $6000 for one bull, while the Norton family added to their Angus purchase, taking a grey for $4000.
Following the sale auctioneer Tiny Holly said it was a quality line-up of bulls.
“Both the shop window and figures of the bulls stacked up,” Mr Holly said.
“Bulls were presented in their working clothes and were ready to go, but like a lot of sales this year, buyers were selective and the better quality bulls were highly sought after and made very good money.”