Allegria Park Angus bull makes $16,500

In the sale, prices hit a high of $16,500, while the average rose more than $2300 to finish at more than $10,000 for the first time.

The Allegria Park sale kicked off the Angus bull sales at Esperance hosted by the Nutrien Livestock team and they couldn't have got them off to a better start with buyers showing their appreciation for the bulls on offer from the Kuss family.

With confident bidding right through the catalogue from the 21 registered buyers at the sale along with another 14 registered bidders on AuctionsPlus from WA, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, there was always plenty of bids being directed at the selling team led by Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Neil Brindley.

This strong buying support ensured that all 27 bulls offered by the Kuss family found new homes when they sold to nine different buyers at a stud record average of $11,037, which was up $2376 on last year.

In comparison, last year the stud sold 28 bulls from 29 offered at an average of $8661 and to a top of $14,000.

Mr Brindley said it was a very buoyant sale from start to finish.

"There was strong bidding right through the catalogue and this was certainly a reflection of the quality of the offering," Mr Brindley said.

"It was a very good offering of Angus bulls from the Kuss family, which presented very well.

"The Kuss family have invested and are continuing to invest in new genetics to improve their herd and that is certainly showing up in the bulls they offer for sale each year as they are continually improving.

"Again the sale was well-supported by local buyers who know what they get with these bulls year in and year out.

"Overall it was an extremely strong sale for the stud and a pleasing result for all involved."

Equally as happy with the result was Allegria Park co-principal Andrew Kuss who said it was a very strong sale and they were very happy with the results.

With a very even line-up of 18-21-month old bulls, picking a standout was not necessarily an easy task for the buyers and it might have been why there were 13 bulls which sold between $12,000 and the $16,500 top price.

In the end it was Allegria Park L519 S26 in lot three which stood out from the rest in the eyes of the buyers, when it was knocked down at the day's $16,500 top price.

Mr Brindley took an opening bid of $8000 on the long-bodied, well-muscled, July 2021-drop bull and a number of buyers fought it out to take home the bull before Wes Graham, WJ & FJ Graham, Esperance, had the final bid at $16,500 and was written in the clerking sheets as the buyer.

Mr Graham, who has been buying from the stud for 35 years, believed S26 was the pick of the bulls in the line-up.

"He is a very correct, well-balanced, stylish bull with a very good temperament," Mr Graham said.

"I was also keen on his bloodline, as I have been impressed with other Rennylea L519 sons I have seen."

Along with being sired by Rennylea L519, S26 is out of Allegria Park Queenie P2, which is a daughter of Sitz Investment 66Z.

But S26 did not only impress on the eye, it also had the numbers to match.

It has estimated breeding values of +2.8 for calving ease direct, +1.6 for calving ease daughters, -5.6 gestation length (GL), +3.6 birthweight (BWT), +55, +114 and +142 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +146 mature cow weight (MCW), +17 milk, +1.5 scrotal size (SS), -5.4 days to calving (DTC), +79 carcase weight (CWT), +3.4 EMA, +1.2 rib fat, +1.0 rump fat, -0.8 retail beef yield (RBY), +4.0 IMF, +0.24 feed efficiency (NFI-F), +41 docility (DOC), +0.78 claw set, +0.94 foot angle and +0.88 leg angle.

With these figures S26 ranks in the top two per cent of the breed for DOC, top 4pc for 400-day weight and MCW, top 9pc for 600-day weight and leg angle, top 10pc for IMF and top 16pc for CWT, while it is in the top 21pc for the $A-L index at +$399 and top 40pc for the $A index at +$209.

S26 will join the Graham family's sire battery to be used among their 2500 head Angus breeding herd which calves in May-June.

The Grahams wean their calves in February-March and background them until they reach about 350kg liveweight.

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They then go to the Kylagh feedlot at Tammin, where they are custom fed for 100 days from June onwards for Coles Finest premium beef label aiming to average 300kg dressed weight.

The Grahams also sell 200-300 surplus heifers annually to Ivan Rogers for his Wagyu breeding program.

Just $500 behind S26 in the price stakes was Allegria Park Origin S65 in lot four when it sold at the sale's $16,000 second top price to return buyer of 10 years Neil Wandel, Willawayup Farms, Esperance.

Mr Wandel said Origin S65 was a good all round bull and was the pick in the catalogue for him.

"He is a well rounded bull with good growth figures and good feet figures," Mr Wandel said.

"He was the bull I wanted and I think he will grow out to be a very good bull with good size and structure."

Origin S65 is a son of Allegria Park Genesis N46, which is by Pathfinder Genesis G357 and out of a Baldridge Beast Mode B074 daughter, Allegria Park Q16.

On the figures front it is in the top 1pc for 400-day weight (+129) and foot angle (+0.56), top 2pc for 200 and 600-day weight (+69 and +160), MCW (+157) and NFI-F (-0.49) as well as top 3pc for claw set, top 4pc CWT and top 6pc DOC.

On the index front it ranks in the top 12pc for the $A-L index.

Mr Wandel, who will join 520 breeders this year for a March/April calving, said he had been buying from the stud for 10 years and has been very happy with the results he has achieved using Allegria Park bulls in his herd.

"They stand up and grow out well," Mr Wandel said.

The third top price was $15,500 bid by Caroline Warren Enterprises Pty Ltd, Munglinup, for Allegria Park Venture S44.

S44 is a son of Allegria Park Investment P17, which is sired by Sitz Investment 660Z and ranks in the top 1pc for GL, top 10pc for milk and NFI-F plus top 20pc for 600-day weight and MCW.

Along with securing Venture S44, the Munglinup-based enterprise purchased another three bulls including two at $13,5000 - Allegria Park Breakthrough S67 and Allegria Park Breakthrough S91, to finish with a team of four at an average of $12,375.

Breakthrough S67 and Breakthrough S91 are both sons of Allegria Park Discovery N27.

A Lower Great Southern buyer, purchasing through AuctionsPlus, was also strong at the top end of the sale purchasing three bulls.

It purchased two GB Firball 672 sons at $14,500 and $14,000, while it went to $14,000 on a second occasion for a Rennylea L519 son.

Its $14,500 purchase, Allegria Park Fireball S21, is in the top 10pc for EMA and IMF.

Return buyers of seven years the Fowler family, Chilwell, Condingup, was not afraid to bid up purchasing two bulls at $14,500, which were both by Allegria Park Genesis N46 and one at $8500, which was by Allegria Park Discovery N27, to finish with a team of three at an average of $12,500.

Their first purchase at $14,500 was Allegria Park Origin S80 which ranks in the top 5pc for calving ease daughters, DOC and leg angle, while its other $14,500 bull was Allegria Park Origin S62 and it ranks in the top 5pc for SS.

Esperance-based buyer GBT Spencer, also purchased at $14,500, when it had the final bid on an Allegria Park Genesis N46 son that ranks in the top 4pc for EMA (+12.5), while D Piercy & Co, Salmon Gums, purchased two Allegria Park Investment P17 sons at $14,000 and $11,000, to be another buyer at the top end of the sale.

While there were a number of multiple lot buyers to purchase that have already been mentioned, none of them went close to securing the volume buyers title as that title went to Lanstal, Esperance, which secured 10 bulls under the hammer to a top of $13,000 and an average of $8250.

Lanstal farm manager Graham Maitland said he was chasing bulls for both heifer and cow joinings to use in both their replacement and terminal herds that are made up of mainly Shorthorn breeders.

"This season we will be looking to join 1300 mature cows and 300 to 350 heifers for a March calving," Mr Maitland said.

"This year we have also retained some Angus-Shorthorn heifers to join for the first time."