Inaugural Morrisvale Limousin tops $11,000

Stud principals James and Casey Morris entering 25 years of breeding Limousins this year and last week they also hosted their inaugural sale for the stud on AuctionsPlus.

In the purely online sale, which lasted just shy of three quarters of an hour, the catalogue had 1301 views, while there were six registered bidders logged on from WA and South Australia.

Of these registered bidders six were active placing 19 online bids which resulted in the Morris family selling six of the 12 bulls (10 apricot sires and two black sires) it offered, to a high of $11,000 and an average of $8417.

The Morris family decided to take the plunge this year and have its own sale after successfully selling three yearling bulls in last year's Elders Albany Multi-breed bull sale at a strong average of $7500 and then selling more yearling sires after the sale onfarm.

Mr Morris said they were happy with the result for their first sale.

"Yearling sales are new in WA with only a handful doing it, so we are very happy given the strong average we achieved," Mr Morris said.

"Doing the sale totally online is also new and we felt it was well-supported with the viewing numbers.

"All our purchasers were repeat clients who understand our program and by them investing into it again shows our cattle are commercially but also stud relevant."

AWN Livestock, Esperance representative and sale co-ordinator Tony Douglass said it was a very good line-up of bulls and they sold well.

"I think it was a very good result for a first up sale and a credit to the vendors," Mr Douglass said.

Topping the sale at $11,000 was Morrisvale Top Gun T24 (PP, R, AA) in lot 11 when it was sold to return buyer the Modra family, Limek stud, Bordertown, South Australia.

Josh Modra said Top Gun T24 was a very appealing bull with a good red coat and excellent growth.

"We also liked what we saw is his pedigree," Mr Modra said.

"We liked the breeding on his dam side while his sire is a Canadian bull which is getting a lot of traction."

The 600 kilogram, ET-bred, March 2022-drop, homozygous polled bull was sired by RPY Paynes Cracker 17E (PP, R, AA) and out of Morrisvale Pandora's Flame (PP, A, AA).

In the catalogue the cherry red Top Gun T24 was described as having some wow factor along with being wedge fronted, deep girthed, sound footed, with a strong top line and added length and thickness from behind.

When scanned on February 2, Top Gun T24 had scans of 7mm P8 fat, 4mm rib fat, 109cm2 EMA and 3.2 per cent IMF.

When it comes to its estimated breeding values (EBVs) Top Gun T24 had values of -1.9 calving ease direct, -0.8 calving ease daughters, -0.8 gestation length (GL), +2.9 birthweight, +30, +49 and +83 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +88 mature cow weight (MCW), +8 milk, +1.8 scrotal size (SS), +44 carcase weight, +0.5 rib fat, +1.0 rump fat, +0.6 retail beef yield, +0.2 IMF and +43 docility.

Based on these figures Top Gun T24 ranks in the top 1pc of the breed for 600-day weight and MCW, top 5pc for 200-day weight and rump fat as well as top 10pc for 400-day weight, SS, CWT and rib fat.

The second best price was $10,000, bid by AWN Livestock's Mr Douglass for lot five Morrisvale Thor T8 (P, A, AA).

He purchased the bull on behalf of return buyers John and Wendy Miell, JR & WR Miell, Narrikup, who were looking for a bull to join to Angus heifers.

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The 565kg, February 2022-drop Thor T8, which displays length and muscle, is a son of Morrisvale Lumberjack (PP, A, AA) and Morrisvale Eternal Flame (P, A, AA).

Thor T8 ranks in the top 5pc for calving ease direct and CWT, top 10pc calving ease daughters, EMA and RBY as well as top 20pc for GL and 400 and 600-day weights, while it had raw scans of 9mm P8 fat, 5mm rib fat, 113cm2 EMA and 3.5pc IMF.

Mr Miell said Thor T8 was the only bull they were chasing in the catalogue due to its bloodline and low birthweight.

"We have had two Lumberjack sons in the past and used them over heifers with good results, so we were keen to get another," Mr Miell said.

"He also has good length and muscling."

Making $8500 in the sale was the March 2022 born Morrisvale Texas Ranger T29 (P, A, AA), which was by Greenwood God's Country 706G ET (PP, R, AA).

The AI-bred, 595kg Texas Ranger ranks in the top 20-30pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights and top 15pc for MCW, was purchased by a buyer from Frankland River.

Morrisvale Spit Fire S54 (P, A, AA) in lot three also found favour with buyers selling at $8000 to a Babakin based buyer.

The 770kg, May 2021-drop bull is a son of Garren Park Nightrider (P, A, AA), which Morrisvale purchased out of the 2019 National Limousin Sale.

Spit Fire ranks in the top 1pc of the breed for 600-day weight and MCW, top 5pc for 400-day weight and milk as well as top 10pc for 200-day weight, SS, rib fat and IMF.

The other two bulls to sell in the sale sold at $7000 to a buyer based at Blythewood and $6000 to a buyer based at Albany.