An exceptional, well-presented line-up of true Gandy Angus-style sires was on display at the annual Gandy Angus Bull Sale held at the Boyanup saleyards last Thursday, where prices hit a high of $15,000.
A broad range of Gandy Angus genetics were catalogued which saw 62 top-quality bulls offered, backed with impressive Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) to ensure all the studs' clients orders were met.
Buyers were also given the opportunity by the Gandy family to purchase eight sensationally well-bred Herd Book Registered (HBR) PTIC stud heifers, which equally had impressive figures that were hard to pass up.
A total of 57 registered buyers, both new and returning braved the heat and travelled to Boyanup, with additional support and interest from buyers via AuctionsPlus.
AuctionsPlus had 1944 catalogue views, as well as 83 logins and two active bidders, with one purchasing three lots which included the first and second top price sires.
In total 45 of the 62 bulls offered sold under the hammer for an average of $7944, which was down $1033 on last year, as well as eight HBR heifers of which seven sold to achieve an average of $5571.
In comparison, last year the stud offered 70 bulls and sold 65 for an $8977 average, and sold eight of 11 heifers to an average of $5250.
Both the heifer and bull clearances were further improved with four bulls selling after the sale to achieve a 79pc clearance and the last heifer finding a new home, taking the heifer clearance to 100pc.
Elders auctioneer Nathan King said it was good result for the Gandy family.
"Considering this sale is one of the first for the season, it was pleasing to see how well it went given the season we have had this year," Mr King said.
"The quality of the bulls, as well as the presentation was excellent.
"A lot of comments after the sale indicated that the bulls were very Kim and Lex Gandy like types."
From a clearance point of view, Mr King said buyers bought some great quality bulls at a very good price.
"There were a lot of people pleased with their purchases, who also said the sale achieved a good result," he said.
"There were buyers who hadn't bought for a few years that came back this year which really does indicate the type of bulls the stud breeds.
"It was also good to see some of the passed in bulls sell post-sale."
Winning top-price honours was a crowd favourite from pen 36, selling to a top of $15,000 to loyal return client Anthony McDonald, Kuloomba Farming, Esperance, via AuctionsPlus.
Gandy Nugget T291 is a March 2022-drop sire weighing 960 kilograms and sired by Diamond One Nugget R104 (natural) and out of Diamond Tree Mentor L86.
The pen 36 gem had EBVs of +71 for 200-day weight, +131 for 400-day weight and +173 for 600-day weight, ranking it in the top 1pc for each, +164 mature cow weight (MCW) in the top 1pc, +107 carcase weight (CWT) in the top 1pc, -0.43 net feed intake (NFI-F) in the top 2pc and +1.1 retail beef yield (RBY) in the top 14pc.
Mr McDonald went on to buy the $14,000 second top price bull in lot 15, February 2022-drop Gandy Paratrooper T74 (AI), which is a son of Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 and out of Diamond One Weigh Up R103 and weighed in at 828kg.
Gandy Paratrooper T74 had EBVs of +26 for milk placing it in the top 3pc, +115 for 400-day weight in the top 4pc, in the top 7pc with a 600-day weight of +145 and an eye muscle area (EMA) of +11.3, -8.1 for gestation length (GL) in the top 9pc, +83 CWT in the top 10pc, +60 for 200-day weight placing it in the top 12pc, +3.0 for scrotal size (SS) in the top 18pc and in the top 20pc for +120 MCW and +1.5 rump fat.
Mr McDonald rounded out his sales with a $5000 beauty from pen 46, 886kg Gandy Fair N Square T93, sired by Myers Fair-N-Square M39 (AI).
It had EBVs of -0.17 NFI-F in the top 11pc, +0.90 leg angle, placing it in the top 13pc, +0.80 foot angle in the top 14pc and +104 for 400-day weight putting it in the top 16pc.
Mr McDonald is a return buyer and said he couldn't attend the sale this year due to harvest.
"The three bulls that I bought were all similar in type and had the figures I was looking for, being eye muscle and growth rates,"
Mr McDonald said.
"The past few years we have been selecting bulls to go over our heifers but this year we were selecting bulls to breed with our cows."
Mr McDonald is running a 500 head cow breeding herd that calves down in late March, early April.
As well as selecting on figures, he also selected the bulls on visual appraisal when he visited the stud prior to the sale.
"I managed to pick out the bulls that I liked before the sale and then purchased them via AuctionsPlus on sale day," Mr McDonald said.
"We carry our steers through and sell them off to Woolworths each year, so we are looking for good carcase attributes and thickness, which they had."
One of two $11,000 third top price bulls was knocked down to TJ & MB Waugh, Manjimup.
The pen 10 beauty, Gandy Stunner T233 is a son of Diamond One Stunner R39 (natural) and out of Stonedale Prosperity N161 and weighed 916kg.
It had EBVs of +64 for 200-day weight, in the top 5pc, +120 for 400-day weight, in the top 2pc and +153 for 600-day weight putting in the top 4pc, to go with a +93 CWT, placing it in the top 3pc, -0.22 NFI-F in the top 8pc and +134 for MCW, putting it in the top 9pc.
The Waugh family rounded out its sales with a $5000 Exar Pillar 9723B son, Gandy Pillar T204 (AI) that weighed 904kg.
The remaining $11,000 third top price bull was knocked down to Pinjarra account, BT Venn.
Gandy Fair N Square T119 was on display in pen 32 and is a son of Myers Fair-N-Square M39 (AI) and out of Stonedale Generation N6.
The 916kg sire had EBVs of +62 for 200-day weight in the top 8pc, +116 for 200-day weight in the top 3pc, +144 for 600-day weight in the top 8pc and +33 for DOC, ranking it in the top 9pc.
The volume bull buyer in the sale, Alcoa Farmlands, Wagerup, bought six quality sires in the sale to an average price of $6083.
Alcoa Farmlands' Vaughn Byrd bid to a high of $8000 for a well put together bull weighing 860kg from pen 14, Gandy Stunner T267, which is a son of Diamond One Stunner R39 (natural).
The bull had EBVs of -0.50 NFI-F in the top 2pc, +66 for 200-day weight and +117 for 400-day weight both in the top 3pc, +152 for 600-day weight and +90 CWT, both ranking in the top 4pc and +134 MCW in the top 9pc.
Also putting together a good team of three top-quality bulls that averaged $7667 was Bowie Beef, Bridgetown, which managed to snap up the fourth top priced $10,500 bull.
Gandy William Of Stern T153 is an AI son by William Of Stern and weighed 858kg.
The pen 18 gem had EBVs of +0.76 for leg angle ranking in the top 2pc, +4.1 SS in the top 4pc, -0.16 NFI-F in the top 12pc, -6.9 GL and +0.68 for claw angle, both in the top 18pc and +0.84 foot angle in the top 20pc.
Bowie Beef also secured Gandy Fully Loaded T12 at $7500 and Gandy Realist T183 for $5000.
The Starkie family, TA & JA Starkie, Manjimup, won the bid at $10,000 for an 876kg sire, Gandy Beast Mode T309, which is a son of Diamond One Beast Mode R122 (natural).
The impressive sire had EBVs in the top 1pc for the breed with its +73 200-day weight, +134 400-day weight, +163 600-day weight and +6.0 SS, while ranking in the top 2pc with a +97 CWT and +153 MCW and in he top 14pc for +0.80 foot angle and -0.12 NFI-F.
Yandilla Grazing Co, Manypeaks, Dairydale Pastoral Co, Boyanup and Hearman Ag, Donnybrook all secured three bulls each, with the Manypeaks account paying an average of $6667, the Boyanup account averaging $5667 and the Donnybrook account paying an average of $5500.
Yandilla Grazing Co paid a high of $8000 for Gandy Dead Centre T276, Dairydale Pastoral Co bid to a high of $7000 for Gandy Fully Loaded T85 and Hearman Ag paid a top of $6000 for Gandy William Of Stern T189.
The PTIC stud heifer offering was dominated by the Waugh family at Manjimup, when it secured six heifers at an average of $5367.
The Waugh family paid a high of $6200 for Gandy Realist T117, a daughter of Karoo K12 Realist N278 (AI) and out of Diamond One All In Q246.
Gandy Realist T117 had EBVs of +0.54 for claw set in the top 5pc, +33 for DOC, ranking it in the top 8pc, +0.80 foot angle in the top 14pc, +0.92 leg angle placing it in the top 16pc and +1.7 for rump fat in the top 17pc.
The Waughs also purchased a $6000 heifer, Gandy Fully Loaded T60, the last heifer in the offering, which is a daughter of Storth Oaks Fully Loaded P23 (AI) and out of Diamond Tree Double Vision L146.
The pen eight beauty had EBVs of -10.2 GL, ranking it in the top 2pc, and +85 CWT, placing it in the top 8pc.
The four remaining heifers bought by the Waugh family at $5000 each were Gandy Paratrooper T14, Gandy Paratrooper T69, Gandy Pillar T215 and Gandy Fair N Square T56.
The top price heifer was sold post-sale for $6800 to Marybrook account
AE Roesner.
Gandy Pillar T158 is an AI daughter of Exar Pillar 9723B and out of Diamond One Innovation P129.
It had impressive EBVs of +71 for 200-day weight and +125 for 400-day weight, both ranking in the top 1pc, +157 for 600-day weight in the top 2pc, +91 CWT in the top 4pc, +142 MCW and +3.9 SS, both in the top 5pc and +0.86 leg angle in the top 7pc.
The Marybrook producers agent, Jacques Martinson, Elders Busselton, said it was the first time that AE Roesner had bought from the sale.
"They were selecting figures, in particular mature cow weight," Mr Martinson said.
"The farm manager plans on putting her into a breeding program."
Gandy Angus stud co-principal Kim Gandy said the family was very happy with the result.
"The sale reflected the current season and market cattle producers are experiencing," Mr Gandy said.
"The bulls we offered were exceptionally good bulls.
"We've got some really good genetics on the ground which we look forward to offering in the future."
Mr Gandy said it was pleasing to sell all their PTIC heifers on sale day too.
"The prices were a reflection of the buyers confidence," he said.
"There was a big crowd at this year's sale and everyone seemed to be happy with their purchases, which will do great in the future.
"It was an ideal opportunity to get really good genetics at a good price."
The Gandy family was happy to see new and returning buyers support the sale.
"We really want to thank buyers for their support, we wouldn't be able to do what we do without them," Mr Gandy said.
"We have received very positive feedback in regards to cattle growing out on grass and feedlots which is good to hear as well.
Mr Gandy said although the current state of the current industry has created an oversupply of cattle and a massive crash in the cattle industry, it wouldn't last forever.
"I think that the markets we are experiencing at the moment will be short-lived and that it will change in the near future," he said.
