LAWSONS Angus held its final sale in Western Australia for the year at Manypeaks recently and it was a highly successful one with extremely strong demand from both local and Eastern States' buyers.
The sale was once again conducted by the Lawsons Angus team of Bevan and Rebecca Ravenhill and their family with the support of Independent Rural Agents (IRA) Colin Thexton and the Elders Albany team as a 100 per cent online Helmsman sale on AuctionsPlus.
Like other bull sales held this year, buyers again responded positively and bid up strongly on the offering of yearling bulls throughout the duration of the hour and a half sale.
Prior to the sale the catalogue was viewed 3005 times on AuctionsPlus and when the sale commenced there were 90 registered bidders logged in from WA, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland on the platform.
Unlike last year when the sale was conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown which limited buyers from attending, this year there were more than 40 interested parties in the selling shed watching the action on the big screens.
When the timer sounded to signal the end of the sale, a total of 885 online bids had been placed on the 45 bulls offered which helped clear them all for a gross $428,250 and an average of $9517, meaning all the important figures were up.
The gross jumped $109,500, the average was up $3012 and the top price lifted $2000 compared to last year when 49 bulls were offered and sold for an average of $6505 and a top of $13,500.
The majority of the bulls sold stayed in WA but there were two successful long-term Eastern States operations that purchased 10 bulls between them.
Lawsons stud principal Harry Lawson said the sale was extremely strong throughout and much of the credit had to go to Bevan and Rebecca Ravenhill, who did an outstanding job with these yearling bulls.
"The bulls presented beautifully and the results on the day were a reflection of their hard work and commitment to breeding outstanding Lawsons Angus genetics," Mr Lawson said.
"It was really pleasing to see strong local support once again in the sale.
"The Ravenhills hosted a successful open day the Friday before the sale and they received plenty of positive comments from local producers about purchasing yearling bulls.
"We like the online sale set up as it provides a platform for our national client base to purchase virtually all year round.
"In this sale we saw 10 bulls purchased by Barton Station, in the Wimmera region of Western Victoria and Troy Hollis, Bodalla, NSW.
"Along with the national support it was also great to see some long-time clients purchasing bulls including Andrew Bott, Esperance, who purchased a couple of cracking bulls (lots 25 and 45) and Andrew Richardson who also purchased two bulls
"Overall we have had three terrific bull sales in WA in 2021.
"We are extremely grateful to our loyal supporters and clients, particularly Col and Kerrie Thexton, IRA.
"Our aim is to breed the best globally-sourced genetics that we believe fit our clients needs in WA."
Mr Thexton said the final sale result was outstanding for a top line-up of yearling bulls.
"This yearling sale for the stud continues to go from strength to strength each year which is a credit to the stud's breeding program," Mr Thexton said.
"The bulls presented really well in the sale and the buying support in the sale reflected this.
"The strength of the sale was the strong support from repeat WA buyers who know the benefits of using the Lawsons bloodline in particular the calving ease and growth they get.
"But the sale wasn't only supported by WA buyers, the stud is renowned for its disciplined breeding approach and there is Australia wide demand for its genetics and this was seen in the sale with bidding from producers located in all States."
Elders Albany livestock representative David Lindberg was equally impressed with the final sale outcome.
"It was a very solid sale which achieved a 100pc clearance and top prices," Mr Lindberg said.
"The bulls presented very well and were a credit to the Lawsons Angus team.
"They were a good line-up of yearling Angus bulls that presented ready to go out in the paddock and work."
Taking top price honours in the sale was Lawsons Ashland R1538 catalogued in lot 16 when its final price was locked in at $15,500 at the end of the sale.
The buyer of the bull was long term Mayanup client Jo Melville, Glendale Henderson, who was in attendance at the sale.
Ms Melville, who has been buying from the stud for more than 10 years, said Ashland R1538 was an eye-catching young sire with a good spread of estimated breeding values.
"I was keen to buy him as I was chasing his bloodline as it will be a new one for our operation," Ms Melville said.
The 542 kilogram AI-bred bull is a son of GAR Ashland and out of an Alloura Get Cracking G10 daughter while on the figures front, Ashland R1538 is in the top 2-5pc of the breed for 200 and 400-day weight (+62 and +108), EMA (+12.0) and IMF (+3.9) as well as top 10-15pc for 600-day weight (+135) and carcase weight (+79).
In terms of its indexes they are all in the top 2-3pc of the breed.
Along with securing the top-priced bull in the sale, Ms Melville also paid $9000 for a Lawsons Momentous M0518 son - Lawsons Momentous R1523.
Momentous R1523, which ranks in the top 4pc of the breed for retail beef yield and top 5pc for EMA, will also be a new bloodline when it joins the Mayanup operation's sire battery that will be used over 270 predominantly Angus cows and heifers for a March/April calving this season.
Ms Melville said she liked buying from Lawsons Angus not only because the bulls perform and have the traits she likes but also because of the support and backup service the stud offers.
"I like the calving ease and temperament you get with the Lawsons' genetics," Ms Melville said.
"But more importantly they offer top after sales service and support and they show an interest in our operation.
"Harry is always interested in how the bulls are performing and also what the progeny are doing."
The operation has just finished calving for this year and Ms Melville said it went well and the calves were looking good.
"We had an early break and the cows and calves are now starting to benefit from it as the pastures are getting away," she said.
The second highest price in the sale was $14,000 paid for Lawsons Momentous R1543 in lot nine when it was clerked to a long-term return buyer from the Albany region.
The AI-bred, 538kg Momentous R1543, is by Lawsons Momentous M0518 and out of GAR Prophet daughter.
Momentous R1543 ranks in the top 3pc of the breed for IMF (+4.1), top 5pc EMA (+10.6), top 8pc 200-day weight (+59), top 9pc milk (+23) and top 11pc 400-day weight (+102) plus it is in the top 10-17pc of the breed for all indexes.
The same buyer also purchased a second Momentous M0518 son for $9750 in the sale.
The next best price in the sale was $13,250 achieved by an AI-bred Te Mania Montalto M1314 son -Lawsons Montalto R1568 - in lot 38 which headed to a new buyer from the Manypeaks area.
The 564kg, April 2020-drop bull ranks in the top 2pc for calving ease direct (+11.4), calving ease daughters (+10.4) and scrotal size (+3.9), top 8pc birthweight (+2.0) and IMF (+3.5) as well as top 11pc gestation length (-7.5), top 12pc days to calving (-7.4) and top 13pc EMA (+8.7).
When it comes to its indexes it's in the top 1pc for the domestic index, top 2pc for Angus breeding and heavy grain and top 3pc for heavy grass.
A fourth bull Lawsons Momentous R1516 in lot two, also sold for more than $12,000 when its final price was locked in at $13,000 to a longstanding Mt Barker based client when the sale concluded.
The 586kg AI-bred Lawsons Momentous M0518 son ranks in the top 2pc of the breed for EMA (+11.6) and IMF (+4.4), top 3pc for milk (+25), top 6pc for 200 and 400-day weights (+60 and +106) and top 15pc for 600-day weight (+132).
On the index front it ranks in the top 1pc for the Angus Breeding, domestic and heavy grain while it's in the top 2pc for the heavy grass.
Along with these four top-priced bulls there were another 12 bulls to sell for $10,000 or more in the sale including two GAR Ashland sons which made $11,250.
Both bulls ranked in the top 4pc of the breed for EMA and top 5pc for 200-day weight and they sold to return buyers based at Manypeaks and Boyup Brook.
All up there were 10 GAR Ashland sons sold in the sale for an average of $10,425, while there were 15 Lawsons Momentous M0518 sons in the catalogue which sold for an average of $9867.
Mr Ravenhill echoed the comments of Mr Lawson and the conducting agents and said it was a very strong sale for the stud on the back of solid buying support from a mix of old and new buyers.
"The bulls presented really well and we were pleased with the way they penned up on sale day," Mr Ravenhill said.
"The sale result showed buyer's acceptance of yearling bulls is growing rapidly.
"It was really pleasing to not only see a lot of returning clients operating but also a number of new buyers operating as both purchasers and underbidders.
"I want to thank the buyers and underbidders for their support in the sale as it is greatly appreciated and I also want to thank the agents (IRA and Elders) as well as Harry and Ruth Lawson for their support plus my family and team for the efforts they put in prior to the sale."
