THERE would have been several factors that would have had the late Elders auctioneer Ray Norman smiling down from above at his namesake memorial Elders Breeders Sale on Monday of last week.
The first thing would be seeing the magnificent yarding of 500-plus breeders up for sale and the second would be seeing local producers and businesses getting together to show their support and raise money for a vital community service.
Several generous vendors together with the Elders team donated their cattle and their services and raised a whopping $19,050 for the Albany Hospice where Mr Norman spent his final days.
The money raised from the sale of the cattle was testament to both the regard Mr Norman was held in by the community as well as their support of a local service and it was a combined pen of two Angus heifers donated by Chimera Trust, Mt Barker, and PM & CJ Wishart, Greenrange, which made the sale’s top price of $3250 per head.
Buying one of his heifers back as well as gaining another of the Wishart’s, Gerald Kilpatrick, Chimera Trust, said he had a fair bit to do with the late Mr Norman through Elders over the years and he was more than happy to show his support of the Albany Hospice and the great work that it did.
Also prepared to put their hand up for an excellent cause, Ken and Angela Zambonetti, Zambonetti’s Transport, secured the first pen of Albany Hospice heifers and for these Mr Zambonetti paid $2900 each which was an outstanding value.
The three Angus heifers were from three separate vendors that included Hillcrest Farms, Marbelup, Tony and Geraldine Perella, A & G Perella, Albany and Mountain Valley Livestock, Narrikup.
The Zambonettis also purchased a pen of Dajara Farm Angus heifers further down the lines paying $1600 for a pen of five.
The proceeds from 10 unjoined heifers from Cima Farm, Albany, were also donated to the Albany Hospice and these heifers were purchased by Mountain Valley Livestock, Narrikup, for $1000 each.
Continuing through some of the other top prices, Gamezon, Narrikup, secured two lines of Angus cows from O Moreth, Youngs Siding, paying $2250 for a pen of eight and $2100 for a pen of six while Colla-Rose Pastoral paid top dollar for a pen of eight PTIC Angus cows from Hillcrest Farms at $2050 each.
Making their selections from the Hillcrest Farms Angus cow offering, Phil and Cathy Wishart, Greenrange, bought seven pens of the well-bred cows comprising seven for $1950, eight for $1900, seven for $1850, six for $1800, seven for $1700, five for $1650 and five for $1450.
WA Hinkley, Gnowangerup, were also building numbers and put together lines of PTIC heifers paying to a top of $2000 for a pen of six Angus cows from O Moreth, two pens of Murray Grey heifers from BA & LD James, Kalgan, comprising 11 for $1600 and eight for $1550 and one pen of five Angus heifers from Dajara Farm for $1500.
The Dajara Angus heifers continued to be popular and H Wolfe & Co, Bornholm, bought three pens of them paying $2200 for eight, $2050 for 11 and $1950 for nine.
Meanwhile, Windmere Farms WA, were active on the lines of RA Bentink Angus cows and they paid to a top of $1800 for eight, followed by $1700 for eight, $1600 for eight and $1550 for seven.
Rathmhor Farming, Jerramungup, made their selections predominantly from the PTIC Angus cow line-up and they secured one pen of five from O Moreth for $1650 and another pen of four for $1575 from RA Bentink.
Consistently bidding throughout the yarding, Ravenhill Pastoral Trust bought 68 head in total and featured in these females were a pen of nine PTIC Murray Grey heifers from BA & LD James for $1550 and a pen of seven PTIC Murray Grey cows from TA & TL Bradshaw for $1400.
The Ravenhills bought an additional two lines of females from the Bradshaws including a pen of eight Murray Grey cross cows for $1350 and a pen of four Angus cross cows for $1150.
This time bidding in the GP & CM Coffey offered females, Ravenhills secured a pen of eight Friesian cross cows for $1000 each as well as two pens of the Coffey’s Angus cows at $1250 for 12 and $1100 for eight.
Keeping with the Coffey family offering, John Edwards, Mt Barker, secured two lines of the European-influenced heifers buying a pen of four Simmental heifers for $1350 and a pen of five Charolais cross heifers for $1300 while Talawa Grazing, Woodgenellup, bought five Friesian cross cows for $1400 and six Angus cows for $1300 from the Coffey dispersal.
What the agent said:
ELDERS auctioneer Wayne Mitchell said in general the yarding was very well received and the support that the Albany Hospice donation cattle received was exceptional.
“In particular I thought the heifers, and first through to third calvers sold well,” he said.
“Buyers were a bit more selective on the older lines of cows.
“Across the board the presentation of the cattle was excellent and we would like to thank the vendors, buyers and the active bidders particularly on the cattle donated to the Albany Hospice.”
