A $24,000 traditional Simmental bull headlined solid results at the 36th annual Willandra Simmental, Red Angus and Angus on-property bull sale at Williams last week.
The Willandra sale is the longest running Simmental bull sale in Australia and Western Australia's longest consecutive onfarm bull sale.
And with the mercury climbing to 44 degrees Celsius, it didn't deter another big crowd attending the sale to look over the quality sale team and enjoy the Cowcher family's generous hospitality.
There were 41 buyers who registered at the sale, with strong representation from South West and South Coast and local districts, Esperance, northern and eastern Wheatbelt and well supported by the Nutrien Livestock network and a few Elders livestock agents.
The sale was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus, which attracted 2043 online catalogue views and a total of 94 registered bidders and viewers logged into the fixture online from WA, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia - with two online buyers active but unsuccessful in the sale.
Despite seasonal and market conditions hampering WA beef producers during the past 12 to 18 months, the Cowcher family maintained its bull numbers in the sale catalogue from last year.
They presented an outstanding offering of 64 rising two-year-old bulls, including their traditional offering of Simmental and Red Angus bulls, along with the second-year offering of black Angus bulls carrying the red gene, while the sale marked the first time the Cowcher family offered purebred Angus bulls from their young Angus breeding program.
At the completion of selling, the Nutrien Livestock selling team headed by auctioneering duo Chris Waddingham and Austin Gerhardy, sold 52 bulls at auction (81 per cent) for an overall average of $8192.
Some selective bidding at times in the line-up of Simmental and Red Angus bulls had an impact on the clearance and average (-$1238) from last year's sale to mirror the trend of the majority of bull sales this season.
At last year's sale, overall 57 of 66 Simmental, Red Angus and red factor Angus bulls (86pc) sold under the auction hammer for a $9430 average.
In the breed breakdown this year, 26 of 34 Simmental bulls (78pc) sold under the hammer for an average of $8346, back $513 on last year's sale average where all 32 of 41 bulls (78pc) sold for a $8859 average.
The team of Red Angus saw 19 of 23 bulls (83pc) sell for an average of $7632 which took the biggest hit to values, down $3320 on last year's super sale for the breed - when all 21 bulls sold for an average of $10,952.
Their black coated stablemates all found new homes, with four red factor Angus bulls averaging $8000 - up $2000 on last year's inaugural offering, which averaged $6000 for all four bulls.
The first offering of three purebred Angus bulls were well received among buyers and averaged $10,667.
Simmental
The line-up of traditional Simmental bulls kicked off proceedings and it didn't take long for the sale's top price to be recorded in the clerking sheets, with the classy sale team leader Willandra Tantamount T35 knocked down for the $24,000 top price to long-time stud clients Kevin and Janice Hard, Naracoopa Simmental stud, Denmark.
Tantamount was among the first crop of sale bulls to be offered at Willandra by new sire Tullamore Park Rocket (by Wormbete Jackaroo J64) which attracted strong interest and bidding from buyers.
The beautifully quiet, mid-April 2022 born double polled bull out of a Willandra Macca daughter - Willandra Crystal - was right at home as he paraded the sale ring.
The 808kg soft, well pigmented stud sire looked the part with Breedplan figures and indexes to match ranking in the breed's top 5-10pc for all weight intervals, top 5pc carcase weight (CW) and scrotal circumference (SC), top 20pc milk and eye muscle area (EMA), positive fats with domestic maternal (DMI), northern terminal (NTI) and vealer terminal indexes (VTI) in the top 5pc and export maternal index in the top 10pc.
Mr Hard said they have enjoyed a long stud relationship with the Cowcher family, buying and selling stud genetics for 25 years.
"We purchased our first stud sire - Saint - from Willandra for the sale top price of $7500, he was an 'S' bull so that's a long time ago," Mr Hard said.
"We liked the consistency in the lineup of Tullamore sons, which offer outcross genetics for us.
"Tantamount appealed with his length, docility, traditional colour and softness and will go across a big percentage of our traditional stud cows."
The sale's $15,000 second top price was notched up two lots later with G & JM Perrella, Northcliffe, securing Willandra Tornado T44 (PH) catalogued in lot three.
The thick powerful 846kg mid-April 2022 born bull was sired by a Topweight Jack Arta son - Willandra Lee Marvin - and out of a Willandra Grenadier daughter - Willandra Mystic K143.
It ranked in the top 1pc for mature cow weight (MCW), top 5pc for 400 and 600-day weights (DW) and CW, top 10pc 200-DW and calving ease Dtrs (CE Dtrs), positive fats with all indexes in the top 5pc (excluding VTI in the top 15pc).
Tullamore Park stud, Busselton, was keen to reinvest into its own breeding with a Tullamore Park Rocket son and secured one in Willandra Titanic T137 in lot two for the sale's $14,000 third top price.
The 840kg Titanic was a younger early June 2022-born double polled bull out of a Woonallee Jericho daughter - Willandra Mystic P78 - also displaying impressive Breedplan performance, including top 1pc milk, top 5pc for all weight intervals, CW, retail beef yield (RBY) and VTI, top 10pc EMA, SC, MCW and NTI and top 15pc DMI.
Other higher Simmental bull values included $13,000 paid by VR & EJ Pitter, Waroona, for a 854kg late June 2022 born son of Willandra Nepal with huge growth figures being a trait leader for 200 and 600-DW, top 1pc for 400-DW, MCW, CW, NTI and VTI.
Sale regulars Terrica Valley, Hyden, collected two Simmental bulls paying to a $12,000 top price for a double polled 810kg Tullamore Park Rocket son in lot four, while the other buyer to bid beyond five figures was Cameron Harris, Elders, Manjimup, also for a PH Rocket son born late May 2022 and tipping the scales at 788kg.
Willandra client for more than 20 years, Gordon Atwell, Welldon Beef, Williams, went to script again this year when he was the standout volume buyer with a team of 11 bulls which included seven Simmental, three red factor Angus bulls and a single Angus bull costing from $5000-$9000.
Welldon Beef is set to calve 1700 Angus females in March-April, with the mature cows going to Simmentals while heifers are joined to Angus bulls.
All steer and heifer calves are weaned in December and backgrounded until February-March, when they enter the family's large feedlot and are fed for 90 days until weighing 520kg plus liveweight and sold to Coles supermarket.
Mr Atwell said he looked for good conformation bulls and appreciates the Simmental over Angus cross for the hybrid vigour the cross provides in its progeny.
Three year Willandra buyer Peter Buckenara, Buckenara Pastoral Company, Bremer Bay, assisted by his agent Harry Carroll, Nutrien Livestock, Mt Barker, collected five Simmental bulls at the sale - paying from $5000 to $7000.
Buckenara Pastoral joins 600 Santa Gertrudis breeders with Simmentals used over their mature cows as terminal sires to calve from March 15.
Calves are weaned in December and backgrounded on stubbles until April-May, when they go on feed for 80 days and are turned off to Coles supermarket at 260-270kg dressed weight.
Mr Buckenara said the line-up of Willandra bulls was good quality from front to back, with really good temperament and appreciates the Cowcher's service of delivering his bulls after the sale.
Red Angus
The sale turned the corner onto the team of Red Angus bulls and a return buyer from the northern Wheatbelt again played a prominent role - purchasing four bulls for an average of $8750, including the breed's $12,000 top price.
Their top price purchase was their first for the day for Willandra Thornbury T88, the fourth Red Angus bull into the sale ring.
Thornbury was a mid-April 2022-born son of Willandra Panther P38 and a Jillangolo Juggler daughter - Willandra Red May P47.
The impressive 790kg bull recorded a strong spread of figures, including being a trait leader for milk, top 5pc for 200 and 600-DW and CW, top 10pc 400-DW and top 20pc northern steer index (NSI).
Nutrien Livestock WA manager Leon Giglia purchased three Red Angus bulls for a healthy average of $9667 on behalf of a regular Esperance buyer, including the $11,000 second top-priced Red Angus bull for Willandra Thames T87.
Thames was a 766kg mid-April 2022-born son of Willandra Stew M36 (by Roselle Stew) and out of a Jutland Fraser daughter - Willandra Urchin J110 - with Breedplan performance ranging from the top 15-25pc for all weight intervals, milk and CW.
Mr Giglia also bid the breed's equal third top price of $10,000 deep into the catalogue for a 786kg son of Willandra Qualify Q39 (by Wyndarra Stew M36) and a Willandra Kiev daughter Willandra Sunset N64 again with a solid spread of growth and carcase performance.
Charla Downs, Waroona, secured two Red Angus bulls costing $6000 and the equal $10,000 third top price paid for the sale's third last bull offered - Willandra Tequila T103 - a 712kg late April 2022-born bull by Willandra Panther P38 and a Willandra Libran daughter - Willandra Urchin P80.
The lower birthweight bull (top 30pc) recorded above breed average growth alongside top 1pc for milk, top 10pc EMA and top 20pc CWT.
The other $10,000 price tag was paid by sale regulars McVay Pastoral, Esperance, for Willandra Trinity T112, a late April 2022 born low birthweight bull by Panther P38 and another Kiev daughter Willandra Bettina P62.
It ranked in the top 10pc for birthweight while still recording well above breed average weight intervals, top 5pc EMA, top 10pc milk and CW with indexes in the top 20pc.
Other multiple Red Angus bull buyers at value were Nutrien Livestock, Williams agent Ben Kealy for a Bannister account and Cooya Trading Trust, Chapman Hill.
Angus
The team of seven Angus and red factor Angus bulls were offered halfway through the Red Angus team and proved popular among buyers.
The inaugural offering of straightbred Angus bulls drew plenty of favourable comments for their impressive depth and length and sold to a top price of $12,000 for Willandra Tenor T10 when it was knocked down to Todd Nancarrow, HNH Grazing Company, West Coolup - whose family has been supporting Willandra since its first sale.
The 826kg late May 2022 born bull was sired by a JMB Traction 292 son Koojan Hills Traction P40 and a Baldridge Command C36 daughter - Islay Tango P4.
The bull recorded an even spread of above average figures but did rank at the top-end of the breed for milk (top 4pc) and docility (top 2pc), along with top 24pc EMA and RBY and top 29pc feed efficiency (NFI-F).
The Nancarrow family runs almost 200 first and second cross breeders, with its first cross replacements sourced as mated heifers from a local dairy producer which are mainly joined to Simmental bulls to calve from the last week of January.
Calves are targeted towards the supermarket milk-fed vealer trade, being turned off from the end of September - with last year's drop weighing up to 270kg and averaging 230kg dressed weight.
Mr Nancarrow said they are working towards increasing their second cross numbers and their new Angus bull would go over a selection of first cross females to breed second cross replacements and over second cross heifers for their maiden joining.
He said he liked the depth and size of his new bull with its strong back to carry its width and good temperament.
A bid shy at $11,000 was paid by Rimrock Grazing, Boyup Brook, for another Traction son born early April 2022.
It tipped the scales at 740kg and - like its half brother - was highly efficient (top 15pc NFI-F) and quiet (top 14pc docility) with above breed average performance across most traits with an average birthweight.
Mr Atwell collected three of the four red factor Angus bulls which included two sons of influential Australian Angus sire Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 and paid an equal $9000 top price for a 776kg bull by USA sire Sitz Stellar 726D.
He also paid $9000 for the other Angus bull which was also by Traction.
