Another exceptional line-up of quality bulls was presented by the participating vendors in this year's 31st Annual Invitational Bull and Female Production sale that was held exclusively online last week.
The sale, held on the AuctionsPlus platform, gave prospective buyers the opportunity to bid confidently on their preferred lots and take advantage of the helmsman-style sale online.
Sale supporters, buyers and underbidders were given plenty of options during the sale, with a mix of genetics and traits available from the 32 bulls and two females with calves at foot that were up for grabs, representing four different breeds from six separate studs.
Seventy four guests logged into AuctionsPlus, with the catalogue receiving 2052 views, while there were 15 active online bidders - of which 14 successfully bid on 21 lots in total.
This year, the bidders were predominantly from WA, with a lot of Wheatbelt buyers present, along with support from the Midlands and South West and some Queensland interest too.
Buyers managed to clear 20 of the 32 bulls offered to an average of $5450 and a high of $7750, which was down $1490 on last year's sale.
In the female offering, one of the two females with calves at foot sold for $1500.
While the sale average was back on last year, the studs continued to offer quality genetics and stock, which saw prices reflect the current market and seasonal conditions the WA beef industry is experiencing, not the quality of the bulls.
Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer was pleased with the sale results.
"Vendors as a whole were happy with the overall clearance, as buyers were more selective this year," Mr Spicer said.
"The sale teams were of very high quality and were very even in what's been a difficult year to prepare bulls."
Murray Grey
The Murray Grey offering was again the largest line-up this year, with 21 bulls offered from two vendors.
Of these, 14 sold during the sale to a high of $7750 and an average of $5607.
The Benview stud, Pemberton, was unfortunately unable to sell its two quality sires, while the Bagshaw family's Young Guns stud, Hyden, cleared 14 of its 19-head offering to average $5607.
Catching the eye of many buyers was an 856kg sire, Young Guns Triton BJL T101, which sold for the sale's highest prices of $7750 to Andrew James, Abban Farms, Karlgarin.
Triton BJL T101 is a May 2022-drop son of Young Guns Lonestar L56 and out of Young Guns Boadicea L72 and has Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) of -2.5 calving ease direct (CEDir), +0.1 gestation length (GL), +4.0 birthweight (BWT), +3 for milk, +20, +43, +50 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +48 mature cow weight (MCW), -0.9 scrotal size (SS), +29 carcaseweight (CWT), +0.8 eye muscle area (EMA), -0.7 and -1.1 for rib and rump fats, +0.1 intramuscular fat (IMF) and +0.7 retail beef yield (RBY).
With these figures, it ranks in the top 42 per cent for CEDir and IMF, top 46pc for EMA, top 48pc for GL and top 49pc for milk.
Mr James is a long-time supporter of the Young Guns stud and has five Young Guns bulls servicing his 100 head Murray Grey breeding herd.
"Even though the cattle market is quite low at the moment, we have still increased our cattle numbers this year," Mr Grey said.
"This bull was my favourite from the get-go and as soon as I saw the bull line-up, something stood out about him.
"He is a very thick bull and although he isn't the tallest bull, his weight is up there for a late May-2022 calf.
"His growth is phenomenal."
Mr James said he will use that bull over a line of Murray Greys that go back to a bloodline of Simmental and Poll Hereford the family used to breed.
"Simmentals have larger frames, so our base herd started with large-framed cows," he said.
"The beauty of putting him over those cows means I can confidently put him over the cows and not reduce my size or height in my herd.
"Growth rate was a big part of the selection criteria because we turn our calves off at 10-months-old, so we need high growth rates.
"We also love the good temperament of the Bagshaw family's bulls, they are very quiet."
Taking out second top price honours was an April 2022-drop Young Guns Quicksilver Q40 son, Young Guns Tonto BJL T45, which was snapped up by an Elders Geraldton account for $7250.
Tonto BJL T54 weighed 950kg and is out of Young Guns Moonflower L28 and has EBVs of -7.9 CEDir, +0.8 GL, +7.7 BWT, +2 for milk, +31, +53, +75 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +78 MCW, -0.9 SS, +44 CWT, +2.3 EMA, -1.7 and -2.4 for rib and rump fats, +0.5 IMF and +2.2 RBY.
With these figures, it ranks in the top 38pc for IMF, 41pc for CEDir, top 44pc for milk and EMA and top 48pc for GL and RBY.
Trailing closely behind was the $7000 third top-priced bull from lot three, Young Guns True Blue BJL T19, which was bought by CJM & Nj Tapper, Holt Rock.
The April 2022-drop sire is a son of Young Guns Romeo R59 and out of Young Guns Amber R23, and ranks in the top 33pc for IMF, top 35pc for CEDir and milk, top 40pc for EMA, top 44pc GL and RBY, and top 48pc for rib and rump fats.
The Holt Rock account rounded out its purchases with a 860kg, $5000 Young Guns bull from lot six, which is also a Young Guns Romeo R59 son, Young Guns Tiby BJL T15.
Hereford
The O'Neill family nominated three well-bred bulls from their Annaghdowns stud to make up the entire Hereford offering in the sale.
The stud successfully sold one bull, Annaghdowns Terry KVOT004 for $5000 to an Elders Williams account.
The well-structured April 2022-drop has good eye pigment and is a Quaindering Fell J029 son and out of Quaindering Marshall LO78.
It has an 8 millimetre P8 fat, 6mm rib fat, 110cm2 EMA and 5.1 IMF.
Red Poll
The Williams and McLeary families, Yongerellen and Le Topaz studs, Quairading, offered one bull in the Red Poll portion of the sale to make up its entirety and successfully sold it for $4000.
Le Topaz Porter is a November 2021-drop son of Yongerellen Neville Pure Power and out of Le Topaz Lady Bug.
The medium-framed bull with a good balance of muscle and feminine traits was secured by Perth-based Nutrien Ag Solutions account.
Shorthorns
Boyup Brook-based Tara Shorthorn stud owners, the Bleechmore family, made up the Shorthorn offering which was the second largest in the sale.
Of the seven solid bulls the stud offered, four found new homes, achieving an average of $5375 and reaching a high of $6000 on two occasions.
The first bull to reach the $6000 high was a February 2022-drop Tara Quinn son, Tara Travis T11.
Travis T11 is a solid red bull out of Tara Q3 and has EBVs of +16 calving ease (CE), +0.5 BWT, +52 weaning weight (WWT), +81 yearling weight (YWT), +20 for milk, +12 maternal calving ease (MCE), +47 maternal weaning weight (MWWT), +14 stayability (STAY), +8 docility (DOC), +2.2 CWT, +0.2 rib eye area (REA), +0.0 fat, +0.0 marbling (MARB) and -0.3 yield grade (YG).
With these figures, it ranks in the top 7pc for milk, top 13pc for MCE, top 16pc for MWWT, top 24pc YG, top 25pc for fat and STAY and top 28pc for REA and MARB.
The other Tara bull to reach $6000 was also a February 2022-drop sire, Tara Thomas T5.
Thomas T5 is by Tara Quinn and out of Tara Madeline with EBVs of +11 CE, +1.9 BWT, +65 WWT, +96 YWT, +20 for milk, +9 MCE, +52 MWWT, +12 STAY, +8 DOC, +2.9 CWT, +0.3 REA, -0.1 fat, -0.0 MARB and -0.4 YG.
With these figures, it ranks in the top 8pc for milk, top 14pc for MCE, top 17pc for MWWT, top 24pc for STAY, top 26pc YG and top 27pc for fat.
The remaining two bulls, Tara T3 and Tara Trevor T16 sold for $4750 each.
Red poll females
Red Polls were the only female breed available in the sale with the Yongerellen stud being the only vendor contributing to the Red Poll breed section.
Two females with calves at foot were offered by the stud, one of which was bought for $1500 by a Queensland account.
Yongerellen Ada RAR 2 is an excellent cow that has not been re-mated, which was sold with a heifer calf at foot that was born on December 9, 2023.
Ada RAR 2 is a Yongerellen Neville Pure Power daughter and out of Yongerellen Ada Mom.
