THE Muir family's Mordallup Angus yearling bull sale at Boyanup may have been one of the last sales for the season, however like the rest of bull sales this year, it certainly didn't disappoint with new State and stud records being set.
The stud's bull team averaged $15,316 to set a new benchmark for bull sale averages in WA and sold to a high of $32,000 twice, to set a stud auction record price for Mordallup, while the heifer offering topped at $20,000 twice.
When the sale got underway it was standing room only around the sale ring with the stands packed with buyers who were determined to get their hands on the bulls and heifers on offer from the Manjimup-based stud.
In the sale the Muir family presented a top line of 76 well-grown yearling bulls and an equally impressive draft of six yearling heifers featuring new and trusted bloodlines.
The impressive catalogue of bulls and heifers offered through Nutrien Livestock received 1694 views on AuctionsPlus and when the sale got underway there were 93 registered buyers at Boyanup, which was nearly double the number of last year, while another 54 registered to bid online on AuctionsPlus from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and WA.
With such strong interest in the catalogue from those in attendance, bidding right through the sale was fast and furious, meaning all the Nutrien selling team led by auctioneer Tiny Holly, had to do was keep adding up the bids.
But it was not only the bidders in the stands that were strong in their bidding, those online also put in a number of bids to add to the competition.
All up there were 47 online bids placed by seven bidders across 13 lots which resulted in one heifer and four bulls being sold through the AuctionsPlus platform to WA and Victorian based buyers.
When the final bull left the ring after just over one and three quarter hours of selling, the Muir family had recorded its best ever sale result.
The extremely strong buying support resulted in all 76 bulls offered, selling to 46 different buyers for a gross of $1.164 million and to a new average record for a bull sale in WA of $15,316, meaning both the gross and average figures were more than double the figures the stud achieved last year.
In comparison, in last year's sale the stud sold 65 bulls from 72 offered for a gross of $484,000 and an average of $7446.
The six heifers, which were equally as impressive as their brothers, matched them in the price stakes all selling at an average of $17,667, as buyers took up the rare opportunity to purchase first-class Mordallup females.
Mr Holly said it was a red hot sale from start to finish.
"It was an excellent presentation of yearling bulls and heifers which certainly sold at higher values than presale expectations," Mr Holly said.
"The level of competition on the catalogue was beyond comprehension with bulls selling to buyers as far away as Mingenew in the north, out to Hyden and down to Esperance as well as Victoria.
"There was strong, spirited bidding right through the sale from the first heifer to the last bull, not one animal sold with one bid.
"The entire offering was a credit to the Muir family in terms of their presentation and breeding.
"I have been involved with the stud since 1988 and it's the best line-up I have seen offered by the stud.
"They all showed the traits of muscling, softness, length and depth the Mordallup stud is renowned for.
"They not only had the shop window buyers wanted but also the figures and genetics to back them up.
"It was a pleasure to stand over them and sell them and buyers also recognised this quality pushing prices to record levels for the stud."
When it came to the six heifers, Mr Holly said they were exceptional and provided a rare opportunity for breeders to buy females the stud would not normally part with.
"It is not often a stud puts up females of this quality, the Muirs handpicked these for the sale and their quality and breeding was evident in the buying competition they received," Mr Holly said
"The genetics and presentation of the heifers was second to none.
"The Muir family needs to be congratulated on providing buyers with the opportunity to purchase such top quality young females."
Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent and the Muir's agent Ben Cooper, said the sale result was outstanding and far beyond expectations.
"It's been a sale we've been building since last year's corresponding fixture and to see it come to fruition was very satisfying," Mr Cooper said.
"It was humbling to see the smiles on the faces of the Muir family and to have their nearly 60 years of breeding appreciated was rewarding.
"A very big thank you to all of the stud's loyal clients and a big welcome to the many new buyers who attended making the day a success."
The extremely impressive sale result was set up on the back of 17 bulls selling for $20,000 or more which included two selling for the $32,000 top price and another making $30,000.
The first bull to make $32,000 was Mordallup Pindi S85 in lot 22.
When the 665 kilogram, March 2021-drop bull entered the ring its style and presence was clear for all to see and as a result buyers were quick off the mark with Mr Holly taking an opening bid of $12,000.
From there the price raced up before return buyer Gavin Russell, Callanish Grazing, Callanish stud, Thomson Brook, had the final bid at $32,000 on the long, deep youngster which is by Mordallup Moorook M51 (sired by SAV Harvestor 0338) and out of a DMM Creed 75W daughter, Mordallup Nuneral P127.
Mr Russell said he had attended the stud's on-property field day with his father Bert, as well as fellow stud breeder David Corker and his grandson Boston Walker and picked Pindi S85.
"He is a long, very structurally correct bull which has a beautiful skin and he also moves well," Mr Russell said.
"He is a powerful young bull with plenty of grunt.
"But what really sold me on him was when we inspected his sire on the way home from the field day.
"His sire is the most impressive bull I have seen in any breed and if this bull turns out to be half as good as his sire I will be very happy."
Along with being impressive on the eye, Pindi S85 also had a safe set of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs).
It ranks in the top 10 per cent of the breed for feed efficiency (NFI-F), top 20pc for 200-day weight, mature cow weight (MCW) and milk, as well as top 30pc for 600-day weight, carcase weight (CWT) and retail beef yield (RBY).
Mr Russell said he would use Pindi S85 first over a few stud cows to breed bulls mainly for his own use, before using it in his commercial cow herd.
Annually Mr Russell joins 400 commercial Angus cows - 50pc to Angus bulls and 50pc to Charolais bulls.
Mr Russell said he liked running an Angus breeding herd as Angus females made very good mothers.
"You can't beat an Angus cow," he said.
"With the modern Angus bloodlines you can get Euro type growth out of them."
Matching Pindi S85 in the top price stakes and also selling for $32,000 was a red coated bull, Mordallup Gingernuts S157, in lot 33.
Bidding started at $10,000 on the thick youngster that oozed quality as it moved around the ring and when it stopped at $32,000, it was first-time buyer Peter Johnston, Crooked Brook, bidding with the support of Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs, who was written down as the buyer.
Mr Johnston said he liked Gingernuts S157's temperament, birthweight, moderate frame.
"He also has a correct structure, good feet and good carcase data," Mr Johnston said.
"But the best part for me is he carries the long-established Mordallup genetics in a red body," Mr Johnston said.
"I first heard about this bull when he was born and I went and looked at him at weaning and liked what I saw and I have followed his progress since then.
"I know the Mordallup genetics really well from my previous role with the Ag department as a beef services manager.
"Their genetics are not extreme, they go for a type which includes good muscling and early sexual maturity."
The 602kg, March 2021-drop, AI-bred bull is a son of Mordallup Skydiver Q405 and out of a Mordallup Creed K241 daughter, Mordallup Dainty N91.
On the EBVs front it ranks in the top 5pc for RBY, top 10pc for NFI-F and top 13pc for MCW.
Mr Johnston started his breeding herd with embryos out of Canada in 1995 and he now runs 60 Red Angus and Angus breeders.
"My aim is to breed an animal with a good temperament, early sexual maturity (his females need to have a calf at two years old), a low birthweight and a heavy weaning weight," Mr Johnston said.
"I am aiming for curve benders."
Mr Johnston said he was going to collect semen from Gingernuts and make semen shares available.
"I then want to work with those semen share buyers and collect some real carcase data on his progeny," he said.
Rounding out the top three selling bulls was Mordallup Ammaroo S168 in lot nine when it sold at $30,000 to a Victorian buyer operating on AuctionsPlus.
The powerful, extremely thick 727kg bull is a son of Mordallup Renown P42 (sired by SAV Renown 3439) and out of a Braveheart of Stern daughter, Mordallup Ruth G147.
The March 2021-drop youngster ranks in the top 15pc for MCW and NFI-F as well as top 20pc for gestation length, 400 and 600-day weights and RBY.
The same Victorian AuctionsPlus account paid $18,000 for a 751kg Mordallup Skydiver Q405 son, Mordallup Skyfighter S108, which ranked in the top 1pc for MCW and top 5pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
The next best price in the bull offering was $28,000 and it was marked on the clerking sheets on four occasions.
The Gatti family, L & C Gatti, Redmond, who last purchased from the stud 30 years ago, was the first to pay it when they secured the first bull offered Mordallup Alcatraz S56 in lot seven.
Buyer Luke Gatti said the 701kg son of HF Alcatraz 60F caught his eye when he inspected the sale team at the stud's on-property field day.
"He is a thick, well-balanced bull which stands on a good set of feet," Mr Gatti said.
"He has a good scrotal size and a nice, sirey head as well.
"In addition to his appearance and structure he also has the early growth we want.
"He is a complete outcross bloodline for our herd and I think he will grow into a beautiful bull."
The AI-bred bull ranks in the top 10pc for milk and top 20pc for RBY.
The Gatti family will use its new purchase in a new herd of 100 nucleus breeders to breed bulls for their own use.
The family joins about 700 Angus breeders annually for a February/March/April calving.
Long term buyer Bev Strang, BM Strang, Donnybrook, who was chasing new bloodlines for her family's breeding herd, purchased four bulls - three at $28,000 and one at $26,000.
The Strangs paid $28,000 for the 661kg Mordallup Alcatraz S90 and the 617kg Mordallup Alcatraz S27, which were both AI-bred sons of HF Alcatraz 60F son.
Alcatraz S90 ranks in the top 5pc for eye muscle area (EMA) and top 10pc RBY, while Alcatraz S27 is in the top 10pc for 400 and 600-day weights and MCW as well as top 15pc for 200-day weight and CWT.
The family's third purchase at $28,000 was a 636kg, AI-bred Varilek Geddes 7066 son, Mordallup Geddes S18, ideal for heifer mating.
It ranks in the top 5pc for calving ease daughters and top 10pc for birthweight and calving ease direct.
The Strangs also purchased another Varilek Geddes 7066 son suitable for heifer matings when they went to $26,000 for the AI-bred, 625kg, Mordallup Geddes S77.
Geddess S77 is in the top 20pc for birthweight and top 25pc for calving ease direct.
Ms Strang said she was looking for new bloodlines and bulls that would match to the family's cow herd.
"We have been buying from Mordallup for a long time and like the Muir's bulls because they have good shape and structure," Ms Strang said.
"They perform for us and breed really good calves."
In this month's Elders Boyanup store sale the Strangs sold steers to a top of $2532 and heifers to $2373.
Another buyer not afraid to buy up was return buyer Vern Mouritz, VR & ET Mouritz, Hyden, who purchased four bulls to a top of $24,000 and an average of $21,000.
Included in Mr Mouritz's team at $24,000 was a Mordallup Moorook son that is in the top 10pc for RBY and at $22,000 a Mordallup Renown P42 son which is in the top 10pc for 600-day weight and MCW as well as tpo 15pc for 200 and 400-day weights.
First-time buyers Bettini Beef, which runs an Angus breeding herd at Gingin and Brad Abbott, BA Nangetty, Mingenew, both secured three bulls with the assistance of Nutrien Livestock pastoral representative Roger Leeds.
Bettini Beef averaged $22,000 across its team which topped at $26,000 for a HF Alcatraz 60F son that ranks in the top 25pc for birthweight and calving ease daughters, while Mr Abbott averaged $18,667 for his team that topped at $23,000 for a SAV International 2020 son that is in the top 10pc for RBY.
The volume buyer on the day was third-year buyers the Marriott family, Murroka Pty Ltd, South Gippsland, Victoria, who relayed bidding instructions over the phone to Kevin Owen, Tomasi Grazing, Karridale.
The Marriott family, which runs 3700 breeders which are mainly Angus and Angus cross, finished with a team of six bulls at an average of $10,667 and to a top of $13,000 twice.
Matt Marriott, who farms with his father Ross, said he came over in March and inspected the Mordallup sale team and its female herd.
"It is the first time we have been able to get over and see the Mordallup herd and I was really impressed," Mr Marriott said.
"The bulls really impressed me when I saw them in the paddock but it was the cows which were even more impressive.
"I really liked their cow herd and it has given us confidence to continue to buy from the stud.
"I have not seen a cow herd like it in the Eastern States, they are powerful breeders so we have confidence that their bulls will breed on.
"They are a beautiful type of cow and their bloodline seems to work well for the grassfed market we target."
The Marriots aim to turn their calves off at 16 to 19 months old as a grass finished article.
Also buying numbers was Mr Cooper who purchased five bulls at an average of $9600 and to a top of $11,000 for a number of clients.
Other buyers to purchase single sires at the top end were a Harvey-based buyer on AuctionsPlus which went to $25,000 while another AuctionsPlus buyer out of Hallston, Victoria, went to $24,000.
There were another eight multiple lot buyers other than those previously mentioned which either bought two or three bulls.
Those to purchase three were Giant Valley Beef, Denmark, which finished with an average of $10,000 across its team, while Lanstal Pty Ltd, Pinjarra, averaged $8333 across its selections.
Like their brothers the six heifers that were offered first were pursued strongly by buyers and certainly set the tone for the rest of the sale to follow.
The elite unmated heifers offered by the stud represented the first time in many years it had offered females for sale of this quality and buyers recognised this unique opportunity pushing prices to $20,000 twice for the young maidens.
The first heifer offered, Mordallup Duetter S126, in lot one hit the $20,000 figure first when it was knocked down to Ian and Vera Finger, along with their son Tim and daughter Kate, Riga Angus stud, Mansfield, Victoria, who were also hosting their own yearling sale at the same time.
The powerful, March 2021-drop, AI-bred Duetter S126 is sired by Mordallup Renown P42 and out of a SAV Camaro granddaughter, Mordallup Duetter N258.
The 597kg heifer ranks in the top 5pc for MCW and RBY as well as top 13-18pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.
The Fingers also went to $18,000 for the 507kg Mordallup Rainy S24 in lot five.
The February 2021-drop, AI-bred heifer is by Musgrave 316 Stunner and out of a Mordallup Moorook M51 daughter, Mordallup Rainy Q54.
Rainy S24 is in the top 1pc for rib fat and top 6pc for P8 fat.
Ms Finger said they always looked for genetics to improve their production of yearling bulls because of their growing client interest in purchasing them.
"We have followed Mordallup for a while as they sell yearling bulls like us," Ms Finger said.
"When we saw the heifers were being offered for sale we had a discussion with Mark (Muir) and got the information we needed and looked at the photos and videos online.
"We were looking for heifers with length, depth and width as well as femininity and both these heifers ticked those boxes.
"We wanted them to have a bit of muscularity as well because that is important when it comes to putting the weight into the calves.
"In addition to these physical attributes their EBVs were also in the range we look for."
The bloodlines of the two heifers were also an important consideration for the Fingers when making their decision to purchase.
Ms Finger said they had done a lot of research on the bloodlines and were specifically chasing the two heifers they nominated because of their bloodlines.
"We wanted a P42 daughter and we got that in the lot one heifer and we were also keen to secure a heifer with M51 in its bloodlines and we got that with lot five."
Along with securing one of the $32,000 equal top-priced bulls, Gavin Russell, Callanish stud, also purchased the second heifer to make $20,000.
Mr Russell bid $20,000 for Mordallup Heather S109 (lot three), which is sired by Mordallup Boondo L139 and out of Mordallup Heather F167 that is by Black Angus Newsline B37.
The March 2020-drop, 579kg heifer ranks in the top 1pc for RBY.
Along with purchasing Heather S109, Mr Russell also secured Mordallup Georgette S173 and Mordallup Numeral S99 both at $16,000.
Georgette S173 is by Mordallup Skydiver Q405 and out of a SAV Angus Valley 1867 granddaughter while Numeral S99 is by AI sire Varilek Geddes and out of a Mordallup Moorook M125 daughter.
Mr Russell said the sale provided a rare opportunity to purchase Mordallup bred females to add to his herd and he was really pleased to be able to purchase the three heifers.
"All three are powerful, structurally correct heifers," Mr Russell said.
"I think they will do a really good job in our herd and because they are all different bloodlines they will each bring something which makes it even more worth it.
"They will definitely be AI'd in our first program this year."
The sixth heifer in the line-up Mordallup Beauty S145, which was by SAV International 2020 and out of a Mordallup Thunder H31 daughter, made $16,000 when it was knocked down to a Bailup-based buyer operating on AuctionsPlus.
Want weekly news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Farm Weekly newsletter.