STUD and commercial buying support from throughout the country saw values reach $26,000 at the Thompson family's Venturon Livestock third annual on-property bull sale at Boyup Brook last Friday.
Attendees at the sale were spoilt for choice with an expanded sale team of 57 quality well-bred and presented Angus, Charolais and Murray Grey bulls happily spread out among the large viewing pens for buyers to casually inspect before enjoying some generous country hospitality from the Venturon team.
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Buyers made their way to the seating area in front of the big screens and Elders Victoria stud stock auctioneer Ryan Bajada before the video sale got underway.
The big crowd in attendance created a festive atmosphere with 53 buyers registering at the sale from strong local support joining buyers from the South West, South Coast, Great Southern, northern and Central Wheatbelt, Esperance and interstate.
The sale was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus with 76 registered bidders logged in from WA, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania along with a further 145 viewers watching the sale.
At the completion of selling, the Elders and Nutrien Livestock selling teams had cleared 38 bulls under the hammer (67 per cent clearance) on the back of selective buying throughout the sale which saw bulls making strong values and others unfortunately overlooked.
This year's average of $9776 was back only $49 on last year's sale where 40 of 44 bulls (91pc) sold at auction to average $9825.
Pleasingly for the Thompson family, there was plenty of post-sale enquiry on the larger numbers of bulls offered this year which saw numerous bulls finding new homes which greatly improved the sale clearance.
In the breed breakdown, 17 of 22 Angus bulls sold under the hammer for a $8559 average and took the biggest hit to its average, back $2035 on last year's sale where all 16 bulls sold for a $10,594 average.
The team of 25 Charolais bulls generated plenty of interest among astute WA stud and commercial cattle people and interstate studs to be the sale's biggest improver in values.
Buoyant bidding on numerous bulls drove values north with the average improving by $2350 from the 16 bulls (64pc) to sell at auction compared to last year's sale where 17 of 21 bulls (81pc) sold under the hammer for a $9588 average.
In the line-up of 10 Murray Grey bulls, half were sold at auction to average $7000, down $1643 on last year's sale average of $8643 from all seven bulls selling.
Topping this year's sale was the Charolais team leader, the highly-fancied Venturon Start The Party S97, which has been a fan favourite not only at Venturon, but had turned judges heads in the showring and playing a key role in the Thompson family's hugely successful 2022 Perth Royal Show campaign.
Fellow cattle people had also followed the progress of the bull but none more so than the Holzwart family, Bauhinia Park Charolais stud, Emerald, Queensland, who purchased the bull, represented at the sale by Tom Wilding-Davies, Premium Livestock Solutions, Brisbane, Queensland.
The Thompson family retained semen for in herd use and 50pc Australian semen share rights.
The impressive homozygous polled May 1, 2021-born bull had a stacked pedigree from some of the best breeding at Venturon, by Venturon Hamish H6 (by Venturon Crusty Demon C5) and out of a Venturon Keystone K14 daughter Venturon Miss Dimity M16.
Start The Party matched strong raw data of 13mm rib and 10mm rib fats, 147cm2 eye muscle area (EMA), 5.7pc intra muscular fats (IMF) and 43cm scrotal (SC) with a balanced, well above average spread of Breedplan performance including weight intervals in the breed's top 15-25pc, top 15pc IMF, top 1-5pc EMA, top 1pc for both fats and top 20pc SC.
Angus
A top line-up of 22 Angus bulls kicked off proceedings with Venturon Sugar Daddy S120 rightfully holding the mantle as team leader when it was knocked down to return buyers Bowie Beef, Bridgetown, assisted by Pearce Watling, Elders Donnybrook, for the sale's equal $16,000 top price for the Angus breed.
The 882kg late May-2021 born bull was sired by Prime Juggernaut N77 and out of a Jindra Double Vision daughter Tullibardine Katherine L42.
The stylish bull scanned 11mm P8 and 9mm rib fats, 140cm2 EMA, 7.5pc IMF and 43cm SC with a strong spread of figures without being extreme including top 25pc CW, top 28pc retail beef yield (RBY) and top 13pc feed efficiency (NFI-F).
Bowie Beef manager Matt Fairbrass said the bull was a moderate well-muscled type suited to their breeding program.
This year Bowie Beef is set to calve 1050 Angus females from the end of March until the end of May.
Calves are weaned in December/January with an early draft of 100 steers sold through the weaner sales at Boyanup while the balance is marketed direct off-farm to lotfeeders.
Mr Fairbrass said they returned this year after supporting the Thompson family's inaugural sale.
He said he helped the Thompson family in the showring for many years and is familiar with their herd and breeding program.
Bowie Beef also purchased a Kapari Malik M66 son for $10,000 as a heifer joining option.
Not to be outdone, Venturon Steve S11 in lot nine also claimed Angus equal top-price honours when it was knocked down to the Tapscott family, Waymu Farms, Willyung, for $16,000.
The early March 2021-born bull was by Coonamble Kevin K314 (by Ardrossan Equator A241) and out of a Baldridge Beast Mode B74 daughter Venturon Queen Of Hearts Q4.
The 844kg whisper quiet bull recorded raw data of 13mm P8 fat, 9mm rib fat, 124cm2 EMA, 7.7pc IMF and 43cm SC.
Its appealing physique was matched with strong Breedplan performance for a low birthweight bull (top 17pc) ranking in the top 19-30pc for all weight intervals, top 24pc mature cow weight (MCW), top 9pc milk, top 3pc days to calving (DTC), top 6pc SC, top 13pc CW, excellent leg and feet structure and top 21pc low feed cost index.
Later in the sale Waymu Farms also secured a spring-drop Coonamble L56 son for $6000.
Nutrien Livestock, trainee Jordan Dwyer was handed the bidding role on behalf of Lincoln Downs, Boyup Brook, and landed the $12,000 final bid for Venturon Scotch n Pop S10.
Catalogued in lot four, the early March 2021-born bull was by Texas Earnan L612 and out of a Diamond Tree Tour Of Duty M177 daughter Venturon Passion Pop P22.
The average birthweight bull tipped the scales at 828kg and recorded strong growth and carcase traits in the top 19-33pc for all weight intervals, top 11pc gestation length (GL), top 6pc retail beef yield and top 4pc NFI-F.
The other Angus bull to realise five figures was Venturon Stardom S20 when it sold to an AuctionsPlus buyer for $10,000.
The 766kg bull was a mid-March 2021-born son of SAV Renown 3439 and out of a KCF Bennett Performer daughter Coonamble F194.
Alcoa Farmlands, Wagerup, collected three Angus bulls at value costing from $6000 to $7000, while the other multiple Angus bull buyer was Kainton Farms, Esperance, with two bulls also at good value costing $7000 and $8000.
Charolais
With Start The Party living up to its namesake to kick off the Charolais breed, the ninth bull offered Venturon Skip The Tax S31 joined the fray and after a decent bidding battle, was knocked down to well-known commercial enterprise and buyers of top-end bulls, the Kanny family, Bonegilla Grazing, Walkaway, for the sale's $21,000 second top price.
The big polled mid-March 2021-drop bull was AI-bred by Turnbulls Duty-Free 358D and a Kooyong Kirwain K58 daughter Venturon N47.
It tipped the scales at 922kg and scanned 12mm P8 and 9mm rib fats, 147cm2 EMA, 6pc IMF, 44cm SC and recorded explosive EBVs ranking in the top 1pc for all weight intervals, SC, CW and northern maternal index (NMI), top 1-5pc GL, MCW, both fats and domestic terminal index (DTI).
Buyer Trevor Kanny said the bull had very good figures and conformation.
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The bull will be used as a terminal sire over Santa Gertrudis-Angus cows at the start of June for a 2.5 month joining period to calve March-April.
All steer and heifer calves from this joining will be weaned into the family's feedlot at the end of December to be fed for 90 days and marketed direct to a processor at about 540-550kg.
The Kannys earlier paid $8500 for a 834kg double polled son of Venturon Phenomenal P42.
The next highest value of $16,000 was paid twice for Charolais bulls.
First off was O'Byrne & Co, Quindalup, which collected Venturon Surefire S13, an early March 2021-drop double polled AI-bred bull by HRJ Fan Favourite 804F and a Sparrows Kingston 139Y daughter Venturon Hillary P27.
The 910kg bull recorded raw data of 9mm and 7mm for P8 and rib fats respectively, 157cm2 EMA, 4.8pc IMF and 43cm SC with leading growth figures in the top 1pc for 200 and 400-DW, top 1-5pc 600-DW, MCW and CW and top 15-25pc for GL and both index values.
Bondfield Farms, Boyup Brook, held out toward the rear of the Charolais run before bidding $16,000 for Venturon Social S116.
The 802kg bull was a late-May 2021 born son of Phenomenal P42 (by LT Western Edge 4057) and a Venturon Keystone K14 daughter Venturon Nigeria N49.
The double polled bull scanned 12mm P8 and 9mm rib fats , 135cm2 EMA, 6.3pc IMF and 39cm SC with later growth in the top 20pc for 400 and 600-DW, top 20pc milk, top 15pc SC and top 1-5pc for both fats.
Miell Farms, Narrikup, was one bid shy when it secured Venturon Spend It S41 at $15,500.
The double polled 762kg bull was a mid-March 2021-born ET-bred son of Turnsbulls Duty-Free 358D and a Crusty Demon C5 daughter Venturon Hillary H43.
The low birthweight (top 20-25pc) high indexing bull was a curve bender with strong growth in the top 10-20pc for all weight intervals along with top 1-5pc NMI, GL and SC, top 5-10pc fats, top 10-15pc DTI and top 25pc milk.
OM Dunnet & Co, Nannup and the Ryan family, Central Stockcare, Bullsbrook and Minnie Creek station, Carnarvon, each paid to $15,000 for one of two bulls.
The Ryans bulls were consecutive spring-drop lots, first paying $10,000 for a double polled bull by Ascot Kudos Q27 followed by their top bid for a double polled AI-bred son of Moongool Pilgrim (sold for $52,500 in 2020) and out of another highly regarded Kooyong Kirwan daughter Venturon Naughty But Nice N31.
The Dunnets scored one of the buys of the day with a $6000 bid for a double polled red factor AI-bred son of HRJ Fan Favourite 804F before paying top dollar for another homozygous polled AI-bred bull also by Fan Favourite and out of a Venturon Frankie daughter Venturon Kismet K7.
The volume buyer with three Charolais bulls costing from $6000 to $8000 was Gabyon Pastoral Company, Irwin.
Murray Grey
The team of 10 Murray Grey bulls rounded out the fixture with Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs bidding the breed's top dollar of $10,000 from the outset for team leader Venturon Sarsparilla S111 on behalf of RH Norman & Son, Busselton.
The low birthweight bull (top 25-30pc) was a mid-May 2021-born son of Double A Qualified Q2 and a Karakara Balfour B202 daughter Karakara Bodacea G407.
The 770kg bull scanned 9mm P8 and 7mm rib fats, 131cm2 EMA, 5.8pc IMF and 40cm SC.
Mr Abbs said the bull would be used over a selection of the Norman's heifers from their Hereford-Simmental breeding herd.
"We selected him for his lower birthweight and nice early maturity pattern," Mr Abbs said.
"The cross produces excellent crossbred vealers with hybrid vigour suitable for the lotfeeding industry."
The progeny of Rouchelle King Of Hearts found favour among Murray Grey buyers with all four sons finding new homes from $5000 to $7000 with the two higher priced bulls going to Nutrien Livestock, Williams and Tara Grazing, Boyup Brook.
