30th Annual Invitational Bull and Female Production Sale tops $12,500

Although the sale was held online, buyers were able to take advantage of the helmsman-style auction and buyers bid in confidence on the bulls they were chasing.

Potential buyers and underbidders were given plenty of options during the sale, with 43 bulls and seven females up for grabs, representing four different breeds from seven separate vendors.

Overall, the sale saw 87 guests logged into AuctionsPlus with the catalogue receiving 2814 views while there were 16 active online bidders.

This year, the successful bidders were predominantly from WA, with South West, Midlands, Gascoyne and Wheatbelt buyers present online, with support from a Queensland buyer too.

Buyers managed to clear 23 of the 45 bulls on offer for an overall average of $6940, which was down $1967 on last year's sale.

In the female offering, four females from seven offered sold at an average of $1625.

Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer said after losing their sale venue, the WA Invitational group had its second online sale this year and the sale continues to grow.

"Two new vendors offered bulls this year and a new concept was used, with bulls on display on sale day at the Boddington rodeo grounds," Mr Spicer said.

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"This gave potential buyers the opportunity to view bulls physically and then operate on AuctionsPlus if they wished at the grounds."

The largest vendor, Lindsay Bagshaw of Young Guns Murray Grey's, followed his success of last year with another solid result and an almost total clearance."

Murray Grey

The Murray Grey bulls made up the largest offering in the sale with 22 on offer from two vendors and 19 sold from just one of the vendors at an average of $7158.

Return vendors the Bagshaw family, Young Guns stud, Hyden, was the biggest vendor in the sale and in the Murray Grey offering, with a line-up of 20 Murray Grey bulls, of which 19 sold during the sale at an average of $7158.

Catching the eye of many buyers was Young Gun Sarge S50 in lot one, which sold for the day's top price of $12,500 to Nutrien Livestock, pastoral agent Leon Goad, who was purchasing on behalf of his father-in-law, Phil Tomlinson, Napier.

Sarge S50 is a son of Young Guns Napoleon N33 and out of Young Guns Cleopatra N13.

It has estimated breeding values (EBVs) of -0.5 calving ease direct (CED), 0.0 gestation length (GL), +3.1 birthweight (BWT), +2 for milk, +11, +23 and +34 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +38 mature cow weight (MCW), +0.4 scrotal size (SS), +17 carcase weight (CWT), +1.1 eye muscle area (EMA), -0.1 and -0.2 for rib and rump fats, -0.1 intramuscular fat (IMF) and +0.5 retail beef yield (RBY).

With these figures it ranks in the top 35pc for BWT, top 40pc for rib fat and top 50pc for rump fat.

Mr Tomlinson said he was selecting new genetics to go over his mature Murray Grey cows.

"I was sourcing an outcross, ultimately, I wanted to try something different," Mr Tomlinson said.

"I have heard the Young Gun bulls are very good and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give one a go.

"I will join him with the breeders at the end of April, beginning of May and they will calve down in early February, early March."

Four bulls sold to $9500 in the Young Guns offering.

First to pay the price for a Lindsay Metallic M139 son, Young Guns Swagman S31 were return buyers, the Forrester family, Kanandah station, Kalgoorlie, who were the volume buyers in the run.

Also paying $9500 was an Elders Bunbury account for a Young Guns Netflix N11 son, Young Guns Sheriff BJL S33, while Young Guns Sante Fe S95, a Young Guns Netflix N11 son was picked up by a Hyden buyer, and last to secure a bull at $9500 was a Mardella buyer who bought a Young Guns Platinum P14 son, Young Guns Seafarer BJL S64.

Along with securing Swagman the Forresters purchased three other bulls to finish with a team of four at an average of $6875.

The Forrester family's Esperance farm manager Devyn Mills, is a return buyer and said they wanted to get bulls from the stud because they were raised in harsher conditions.

"They are better suited to us," Ms Mills said.

"As for the bulls themselves, they have a nice good structure and are even overall.

"They are the bulls we expect to hold up out in the weather and hold condition."

Poll Hereford

Two vendors made up the Poll Hereford offering this year, with the Lynn family, Eskdale stud, Cunderdin, offering 10 bulls and selling two at an average of $5000, while the O'Neil family, Annaghdowns stud, Wilga, offered three bulls to a 100pc clearance, averaging $7500.

Achieving the top price of $11,500 was an Annaghdowns Poll Hereford bull, Annaghdowns Steakmaker S001, sired by Wirruna Ledger L285 and out of Terraneil Dawn N4 which was successfully purchased by Elders Williams agent Graeme Alexander, purchasing for JL Gibbs, Boddington.

An Elders Bunbury account picked up the remaining two Annaghdowns bulls, both Wirruna Ledger sons, Annaghdowns Smooth S004 for $6000 and Annaghdowns Special S002 for $5000.

Eskdale stud sold two bulls at $5000, with the first one, an Otapawa Spark 3060 son, Eskdale Sparkles 3060 going home with a Moonyoonoka buyer, and the second, an Eskdale Polymer HS P6 son, Eskdale Sledge P6 going to Elders Bunbury.

Red Poll

The Williams family, Yongerellen stud, Quairading, and the Hooper family, Red Sands stud, Quairading, offered just one bull each in the Red Poll offering.

Yongerellen stud was the only successful seller in the Red Poll sale section when a Moyle Park Pemberton son, Yongerellen Pemberton Ulex J6H S13 sold for $5000 to a Queensland buyer.

Pasture-reared Pemberton Ulex has EBVs of +2.7 BWT, +21, +31 and +38 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights.

Red Poll females

Red Polls were the only female breed available in the sale with Yongerellen and Red Sands again the only vendors contributing to the Red Poll breed selection.

The Red Sands stud offered two females with no selling success, while Yongerellen sold four of its five females it put up.

The female top price of $1750 was achieved three times, while the remaining heifer sold for $1250.

Two of the three $1750 pens were Yongerellen Neville Pure Power daughters, with Yongerellen Ada Utu 2 S07 selling to an Elders stud stock account and Yongerellen Mayflower Ultra S08 and the remaining third top-priced female, Yongerellen Ada Ulu S05 which was a Red Sands Windy daughter are headed home with a Queensland account.