A STUD record top price of $15,000 was one of several highlights for the Hasleby family at their 15th annual Biara on-property sale at Northampton last week.
A host of repeat and some new clients made their bidding presence felt, although few were there in person and for the first time in 12 years females were also part of the catalogue.
In a fixture that will go down in history as the COVID-19 offering where internal State travel restrictions and personal health concerns meant there were more agents and vendor representatives than buyers in attendance, the outcome on the fall of the hammer was a strong one and even stronger post sale.
Under the Nutrien Livestock banner flying for the first time on Biara soil and through electronic selling platform AuctionsPlus, the result was 60 Santa Gertrudis bulls offered with 47 sold for an average of $4149 including the $15,000 record top price, $6000 higher than last year and $1000 more than its previous best of $14,000 set in 2018.
This compared to 2019 when 67 bulls were offered with 38 selling to average $3743, $406 less than this year.
The clearance was further boosted by the sale of another nine Santa Gertrudis bulls privately for the $3000 upset price immediately following the auction, but Sangus bulls (Santa Gertrudis/Angus cross) found less favour with only one of nine offered selling at auction for $3000.
The female offering saw a total clearance of 26 Santa Gertrudis and 14 Sangus, 9-12 month-old unmated polled heifers which sold to a top of $1050 to solid stud and restocker demand.
Setting the new stud record were brothers Jason and Brett Kanny, buying on behalf of their family's Bonegilla Grazing Co, Walkaway.
Standing proud in Lot 2, the homozygous polled, classified Biara 8100 (PP), by Gyranda Kenny K592 (PS), with its easy doing muscling, soft fine coat and very balanced EBVs, was touted as stud sire material and certainly captured the attention of many.
At 23 months of age the bull weighed in at 704kg, with 38cm scrotal and 89 per cent morphology.
Obviously keen on the carcase attributes of the Kenny progeny (or perhaps liking the similarities in their names), the Kannys made the first strike of the day buying Biara 8006 (P) in Lot 1 for $4000 followed by another son, Biara 8162 (PP) in Lot 11 for $5000.
Aged 26 months, Biara 8006 (P) was one of the heaviest on the day weighing 722kg with 38cm scrotal and 55pc morphology, while Biara 8162 (PP) weighed 684kg at 22 months with 39cm scrotal and 51pc morphology.
Adding some alternative blood, the Kannys also snapped up Lot 3, a poll scur Rosevale Jethro J208 (PS) son ranked in the top 2pc on export index, for $6000.
Seeking to maximise hybrid vigour, the Kannys run 250 predominantly Angus and Santa Gertrudis-Angus breeders mated to Angus, Santa Gertrudis and Charolais.
Jason Kanny said they were looking for milk, 400-day growth and fertility EBVs as well as good conformation in their selections.
"We sell our calves to Borrello (Borrello Beef, Gingin) at about 10 to 12 months of age or about 280kg dressed weight," Mr Kanny said.
"After they are weaned we finish them on grain for 90 to 110 days before sending them off."
The tops of the heifers are retained and the remainder given a similar journey to the steers ending as domestic market product.
While not new to the Biara stud, it is a few years since the Kanny family has operated at auction, opting to get their Santa infusion through AI in recent times.
The day's second and third top prices, $10,000 and $8000 respectively were paid by long-time annual supporters of the sale Peter and Tanya Buckenara, Buckenara Pty Ltd, Bremer Bay, bidding both through AuctionsPlus and a Nutrien Livestock representative based ringside at Biara.
Having missed out on Lot 2, which also saw the $14,000 record they set in 2018 eclipsed, the Buckenaras refocused on later catalogue choices.
This saw them successful on four bulls - Lot 18 for $10,000, a 23 month-old PP son of Rosevale Jethro (PS), weighing 638kg with 33cm scrotal and 86pc morphology ranked in the top 5pc of the breed for days to calving (DTC) and domestic and export index values; Lot 30, a 23 month-old polled son of Rowanlea Atomic (P), weighing 620kg with 36cm scrotal and 85pc morphology for $8000; Lot 14, a 23 month-old polled son of Rosevale Maverick (P), weighing 636kg with 34cm scrotal and 87pc morphology for $4500 and Lot 20, a 21 month-old polled son of Biara 6014 (P) for $4000.
Fellow long-term Santa Gertrudis producers, Ian and Ann Halleen, Halleen Livestock Chittering, the losing bidders on Lot 2, also had to be content with later catalogue entries.
This included a polled Rosevale Majestic M176 (P) son offered in Lot 10 for $7500 and $3000 for a PP son of Rosevale Jethro J208 (PS) in Lot 41.
Despite the intensity on some lots, there were plenty of bulls throughout and to the back end of the catalogue selling at the upset price which allowed those looking for numbers to capitalise.
Volume buyers had a big impact on the sale outcome, the most active being Liam Johns, Killara station, Meekatharra, who accumulated nine to a top of $5000.
The Parsons family, Coolawanyah station, Tom Price, finished with seven bulls, Georgina Farms, Walkaway, bought six as did Billabalong Station, Murchison, while the Forrester family, Ballee Pty Ltd, Mogumber, bought three to a top of $6500.
Heifers offered in three lines at the start of the sale found strong favour topping at $1050 a head for the line of 14 Sangus sold through AuctionsPlus to Cameron Petricevich, S & C Livestock.
Mr Petricevich was bidding on behalf of James and Matt Cooper, Cooper Bros, Dowerin, and said his clients were chasing a bit of do-ability to add to their Angus and Murray Grey herd.
The top price for purebred heifers, which were eligible for breed society classification, was $1000 a head for a line of 13 secured by Mark and Chloe Madew, Cundarra stud, Gingin, again through AuctionsPlus.
Mr Madew said he liked the pedigrees of the heifers with a number by Rosevale Monty and would keep the best of them in his stud herd with the remainder destined for his commercial herd to help build numbers for a new lease block at Lancelin.
Looking to replace "some old girls they had recently quit" the Mouritz family, Wandilla, Hyden, bought the other line of 13 purebred Santa Gertrudis heifers for $750 a head and followed up with two bulls by Rosevale Noddy Z588 (P) son Biara 9104 (P) at $6000 and $5000 to go with them.
Selling at the end of the catalogue, it was a disappointing day for guest vendor Wendalla stud, Bolgart, which sold one of its draft, to Coolawanyah station for $3000.
Following the sale, Biara stud co-principal Glenn Hasleby said it had been a fantastic result for Biara, especially considering many clients still had not yet had any rain.
"We are thankful the sale could go ahead given the current situation and appreciate the support shown," he said.
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Tiny Holly said overall it was an above-expectation sale result.
"We saw an excellent line-up of bulls today and the improvement from year to year is very evident especially relative to sheaths and muscle," Mr Holly said.
"It was good to see a new sale record top price achieved, to see the number of repeat buyers operating, how keenly the heifers were sought after and the degree of competition through AuctionsPlus.
Despite a few hiccups with part loss of audio for those buying online, AuctionsPlus statistics showed there were 40 registered bidders from five States, 60 guest viewers, 1646 catalogue views and seven active bidders who between them made 51 online bids to successfully secure 12 lots through the selling hub.
