Topweight Simmental sells to $12,000 top

A good crowd of return buyers and new faces showed up for the Helmsman sale, which was conducted by Elders and interfaced on AuctionsPlus.

In the sale the Weightman family presented 12 rising one-year-old bulls and four rising 2yo sires, as well as a heifer which was offered pick of the pen from a group of 17 heifers

By the end of the sale after some spirited bidding on a number of the bulls, 13 of the 16 offered had found new homes selling to 10 different buyers to a top price of $12,000 and an average of $6538 while the pick of the pen heifer made $5500.

Elders, Margaret River agent Alec Williams said the final result was a good one for the Weightman family for its inaugural sale.

"Repeat and new buyers attended with other interested producers to view or bid on the selection of excellent grassfed bulls that were on offer," Mr Williams said.

"A good clearance was achieved with buyers appreciative of the quality genetics available from the stud."

Recording the sale's $12,000 top price was yearling bull Topweight T022 (P) in lot six when it was penciled down at this value to first time Topweight buyers, the Avery family, WA, BE & DC Avery, Scott River.

Buyer Daryl Avery said Topweight T022 really caught his eye and stood out from the rest.

"I liked everything about him," Mr Avery said.

"He is a really attractive young bull that is well-muscled and has good growth for age.

"He also has really good feet and is very docile."

The powerful, polled bull was sired by Muban Pablo's Pride (PP) (ET) (AI) and out of a Willandra Knave (H) daughter, Topweight Bettina P180 (P).

T22 has estimated breeding values of -2.7 calving ease direct, +2.4 gestation length (GL), +3.3 birthweight (BWT), +24, +42 and +56 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +60 mature cow weight (MCW), +6 milk, +1.0 scrotal size (SS), +2.5 eye muscle area (EMA), +0.1 rib fat, +0.5 rump fat, +1.0 retail beef yield (RBY) and -0.1 intramuscular fat (IMF).

These figures rank it in the top 20pc for SS, top 25pc for MCW and top 30-35pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.

The Averys will use Topweight T022 over mature Murray Grey-Gelbvieh cross females.

The next best price in the sale was $8000 and it was achieved twice for two Willandra Panache (Pp) sons.

The first bull in the line-up to sell at $8000 was the well-muscled, polled, yearling bull Seven Brooks T005 (P) and it was purchased by a stud from New South Wales, which was operating on AuctionsPlus.

The easy-doing T005 ranks in the top 10pc for 200-day weight and RBY, top 15pc for 600-day weight and milk as well as the top 20pc for MCW and CWT.

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The other bull to make $8000 was Topweight T002 (P) (TW) in lot eight when it sold to return stud buyer DV Brockman & Co, Cowaramup.

The twin born, yearling bull ranks in the top 20pc for RBY, top 30pc for 600-day weight and top 35pc for CWT.

Also paying at the top end of the market was Vaughn Byrd, Harvey, who bid to $7000 for Topweight T40 which is in the top 1pc for milk and top 10pc for RBY.

The volume buyer of the sale was DD & E Hutton, Witchcliffe, which purchased three bulls at an average of $6667.

Included in the team headed to the Hutton's Witchcliffe property were rising 2yo bull, Topweight S034 and yearling bull Topweight T25 at $7500 and $7000 respectively.

S034 is a son of Topweight M083 and it ranks in the top 1pc for milk, top 10pc for 200-day weight and top 15pc for 600-day weight, while T40 was sired by Willandra Maverick (H) and ranks in the top 15pc for 600-day weight, MCW and rump fat.

There was one other buyer to take home more than bull and that was DB Reid, Nillup, which collected lots one and two both at $5000.

The remaining four bulls to sell all sold at $5000 to four different buyers.

The catalogue rounded out with buyers being given the opportunity to pick a yearling heifer from a group of 17 the Weightmans had picked out of their herd.

Winning out on this lot at $5500 was the Tullamore Park stud, Busselton.

The heifers which were offered to choose from were by sires including Topweight M073, Topweight R170, Mubarn Pablo's Pride and Willandra Maverick.