Total clearance for Lawsons Angus

The move to a new home at Manypeaks and to an online only format did little to impact the sale results, with mainly return buyers from throughout the country logging in and competing strongly on the top catalogue of 76 high performing Angus bulls buyers have come to know with the Lawsons brand.

The sale was already a full online program prior to the COVID-19 lockdown announcement last week and while the Great Southern region wasn't affected and people were welcome to attend the sale on-property, travel restrictions saw South West and Peel producers compete on their bulls of choice remotely.

The sale was a Helmsman auction format on AuctionsPlus and co-ordinated by Elders and Independent Rural Agents, Pemberton, which attracted 1592 catalogue views and 70 registered bidders from WA, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.

At the completion of selling, 1124 bids were placed throughout the catalogue which led to a 100 per cent clearance and an extremely strong average of $8526.

This was significantly up on last year's sale at Hopetoun where 57 of 63 bulls (90pc) sold at auction for an average of $6246 with the $2280 jump in average across the increased sale numbers seeing the fixture's gross returns rising by almost $300,000.

Lawsons Angus stud principal Harry Lawson said given they were unable to travel to WA with the border closure to Victorians, he was overwhelmed by the results at both the Joanna Plains and Albany bull sales.

"The results clearly show the confidence in Lawsons Angus genetics," Mr Lawson said.

"Due to COVID-19, there was increased national buying on AuctionsPlus.

"Lawsons Angus has six national bull sales annually which are interfaced on AuctionsPlus and some of our clients buy from all six sales.

"And worth noting is that more than 60 bulls were purchased by repeat buyers from South West WA.

"I had faith these boys would sell well as there were some superb bulls in the sale.

"There is nothing single dimensional about these bulls, they epitomise multi-trait excellence and our clients did their homework and bought well.

"There were many people that contributed to making sure the show went on without me, I thank everyone for going above and beyond.

"I am forever grateful to Bevan Ravenhill, Colin Thexton, Alan Peggs, Johnnie Dichiera and the Elders and Nutrien Livestock teams for their exceptional support."

Topping this year's sale was Lawsons Method Q953 catalogued in lot 20 which was purchased by WF & FJ Graham, Esperance, for $15,000.

The mid-June 2019-drop bull was AI bred by GAR Method and out of a GAR Surefire daughter and recorded some impressive performance figures.

It was the highest ranked bull in the sale team for 400-day weight (DW) at +107 which is also in the breed's top 5pc and equal highest carcase weight at +79 (top 10pc), while also ranking in the breed's top 5pc for 200-DW, eye muscle area (EMA), retail beef yield (RBY) and domestic index, top 10-20pc for all other selection indexes and top 11pc for 600-DW.

The Grahams also paid $11,500 for the only GAR Ashland son in the sale which recorded the equal highest carcase weight in the sale at +79 (top 8pc), all indexes in the top 1-2pc, top 6-10pc for all growth intervals, top 6pc EMA, top 11pc calving ease DIR, top 13pc RBY and top 14pc IMF.

Buyer Wes Graham didn't attend the sale and selected the bulls, based on the online videos and pics.

Mr Graham said he was chasing the top-priced bull because of its bloodline and was happy to be able to purchase it.

"We purchased a couple of Method bulls from Lawsons a couple of years ago and they have worked really well for us," Mr Graham said.

"I was keen to get another one as backup for the two we have and I wanted the best available in the sale.

"He also had a good mix of genetics on his dam side, which includes good muscling animals.

"I liked this one as it has the growth profile for our production system which includes a very good 400-day weight figure.

"Overall he has a good spread of figures with a moderate birthweight, good growth and good mature cow weight.

"He is also a very well-muscled and well-structured bull."

The Grahams run a 50-head nucleus herd to breed bulls for their heifer joining and 2000-head commercial herd.

The bull will join the Graham's sire battery for use in the family's pure Angus breeding herd which calves in winter.

They hold onto their steer calves until about 14 months of age before they go to the Kylagh feedlot and are fed for the Coles Finest program.

Mayanup operation Henderson-Glendale wasn't afraid to bid up on its selections, outlaying a healthy $11,250 average for four bulls which included the sale's $14,250 second top price for a high ranking and indexing sire lot eight.

The late June 2019-drop son of Lawsons Momentous M528 (by GAR Momentum) and a GAR Prophet daughter recorded EBVs in the top 2pc for milk and IMF, top 3pc EMA, top 4-10pc for all selection indexes and top 11-22pc for all weight intervals.

Buyer Jo Melville said she had been buying bulls at Lawsons Angus for about seven years and was looking to reintroduce the Ayrvale Bartel E7 bloodline, along with some fresh genetics in her sire selections for the forthcoming joining of the 270 predominantly Angus cows and heifers for a March to April calving.

"I was so happy with the performance of the Bartel bulls years ago but it had been too early to use them again over the heifers," Ms Melville said.

"The Momentous bull offers a fresh bloodline for the herd, he looked the part, his figures and temperament were good and will be suited to our cows.

"I'm happy with my new bulls, their 400-day weights and milk figures all stacked up and the birthweight of the Bartel bulls are suited for heifer joinings.

"I really wanted these bloodlines but had to pay for them."

The next highest price of $12,000 was paid for one of three bulls also heading into the Boyup Brook area.

The sale team leader was another June 2019-drop Momentous M528 son and out of a Paringa Judd J5 daughter with impressive figures including top 2pc for all selection indexes and EMA, top 3pc IMF, top 6pc milk, top 7pc gestation length (GL), top 12-16pc for all growth intervals and top 13pc CW.

A return WA buyer entered the market with bids of $11,500 and $10,250 for two consecutive catalogued bulls which were both extremely high ranking and indexing sons of GAR Prophet.

Another buyer from the local Albany area bid up on their selections and collected three bulls costing more than $10,000 with their top bid of $11,250 reserved for a Momentous M518 sired bull out of a GAR Surefire daughter that ranked in the top 3pc for EMA, top 9pc for IMF and all indexes in the top third of the breed.

Another return Mayanup buyer Jarralea Pty Ltd paid $10,250 twice on its way to securing four new bulls with top bids paid for sons of GAR Method and Momentous 518.

Fellow return buyer Quintarra Farms, Esperance, added three new sires to its battery, bidding to a $11,000 top price also for a Momentous M518 son out of a Ayrvale Bartel E7 daughter.

While a number of IRA Pemberton principal Colin Thexton's clients were operating in person at the sale, Mr Thexton purchased an additional 16 bulls at the sale for a number of other clients.

A team of 21 bulls sold to the Eastern States at between $6500 to $10,250 for a high indexing GAR Prophet son in the top 1pc for all selection indexes.