By Courtney Walsh, Farm Weekly
Handling one of the equal $7000 top-priced Simmental bulls sold last week was vendor Kevin Hard (left), Naracoopa Simmentals, Denmark, with buyers Rob and Zak Hortin, Torbay and Landmark Albany representative Michael Lynch. Photo by Farm Weekly
The Great Southern Blue Ribbon Bull Sale was the first fixture of the year serving up a hint of the quality of bulls available in WA this season, with eight studs representing five breeds and kicking off the 2020 season on a strong note thanks to a top price of $7,500, a gross of $253,750, an average of $4,699 and a clearance of 54 bulls from a catalogue of 60.
Simmentals had two Denmark-based studs offering up quality selections of the European breed.
Combined, Naracoopa and Inlet Views studs had 13 bulls on offer and saw 12 sold under the hammer to a top of $7,000 twice, a gross of $61,500 and an average of $5,125.
The Naracoopa presentation from the Hard family went into the ring first, with 11 bulls presented to buyers and drawing enough interest to reach the sale equal second top price of $7,000 on two occasions, paid by the same buyer FV Hortin & Sons, Torbay.
Both selections were Black Simmentals and halter broken with impressive pedigrees. January 2018 born Naracoopa Parade was the first of the two bought for $7,000, sired by Webb Tank K090 and out of Woonallee Olivia K170, with figures including +18, +34 and +33 for 200, 400 and 600- day weights, +35 mature cow weight, +17 carcase weight, +3.2 EMA and +1.0 IMF, while Naracoopa Pathfinder was the other January 2018 born calf bought by the Hortins for $7,000, and was also sired by Webb Tank K090 and out of a Woonallee Olivia female.
It had EBV figures including +18, +32 and +31 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, as well as +33 mature cow weight, +16 carcase weight, +3.2 EMA and +1.1 IMF. The Hortins also bought one further Naracoopa sire with a traditional coat for $3,500, taking their tally of bull purchases to three.
Other buyers to spend good money on Naracoopa bulls included BDT & RJ Vigus and LE & AG Wolfe which paid $6,000 and $6,250 respectively.
In the Inlet Views offering of two traditional Simmentals, prices peaked at $5,000 for Inlet Views Pilot, a February 2018 born calf which was bought by RH Norman & Son. Pilot was sired by trait leader Glen Anthony Y-Arta AY02 and out of a Bonnydale female. It had figures including +17, +30 and +40 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights as well as +37 mature cow weight, +10 milk and +21 carcase weight.
Inlet Views Paladin, by the same sire also sold well, fetching a final bid of $3,750 from G & B Mather.
