Naracoopa Simmental stud principal Kevin Hard (left), Denmark, with the $7,250 equal third top price bull of the Landmark Great Southern Blue Ribbon Bull Sale and its buyers Les and Anna Wolfe, Youngs Siding and Landmark auctioneer Michael Altus. Photo by Farm Weekly
Simmental results from Travis King, Farm Weekly
In line with the cattle market, this year’s Landmark Great Southern Blue Ribbon Bull Sale saw a slight correction in prices compared to last year.
As the first bull sale of a new season, the results of the Blue Ribbon event are always keenly awaited as it tends to provide some gauge as to what to expect for the coming year.
Coming off the back of a record cattle market last year, this year’s sale was always going to be hard to compare to last year’s result and there was an easing in the market to some extent.
This year there were 62 bulls offered from six different breeds and 45 of those bulls sold under the hammer to an average of $5,267.
Naracoopa Simmental stud, Denmark, had one of the larger offerings of bulls in the sale with 10 and it also was one of only two studs to record a 100pc clearance under the hammer.
Its 10 bulls also posted one of the higher averages at $5,450, while its top price hit $7,250.
Les and Anna Wolfe, Youngs Siding, had the final bid at this price on a very quiet, nicely muscled son of Topweight Jack Frost, Naracoopa Mewell.
Mewell was a February 2016 drop bull that was +23, +35 and +49 for 200, 400 and 600-day weight respectively. It was also +3.1 for birthweight and +0.9 for eye muscle area.
Les Wolfe said they used Simmental bulls over Angus-Friesian cross cows and he liked Mewell for its softness which would suit the Friesian cross females.
Next best in the price stakes for the Naracoopa stud was $7,000 paid by Wingalup Grazing, Boyup Brook, for Naracoopa Montgomery M10.
This long and beautifully muscled bull was used by the stud over some heifers and was described as an outstanding young sire.
It recorded a birthweight of +0.4, a 200-day weight of +14, a 400-day weight of +22 and a 600-day weight of +34.
Montgomery was sired by Willandra Figaro and out of Naracoopa Kath.
Two Naracoopa bulls sold for $6,500, with Thornton Farms, Denmark, paying that for Naracoopa Middleton, while Martin & Flavel, King River, paid the same amount for Naracoopa Maveric.
HJ & MC Hann, Esperance, went to $6,000 to secure Naracoopa Manolopy, while George Williams, Denmark, outlaid $5,000 to take home Naracoopa Major.
The WA College of Agriculture, Denmark’s Inlet Views stud offered four bulls in the sale and sold three of them under the hammer averaging $4,583
The college’s top price bull, Inlet Views Macbeth sold for $6,250 to Les and Anna Wolfe.
Macbeth was an April 2016 drop calf sired by Bonnydale McLean and recorded EBVs of +3.3 for birthweight, +21 for 200-day weight, +34 for 400-day weight and +46 for 600-day weight.
G Bocuzzi & Co, Denmark, paid $4,000 for Inlet Views Mount Blanc, while Martin & Flavel paid $3,500 for Inlet Views Motana.
From Farm Weekly