Stud closure ends in disappointment

Rex Smith paid the top-price for this cow unit.

One of WA's most colourful characters in the stud cattle game has called it quits.

Avondell Murray Grey principal Ron Rinaldi and his wife, Lorraine, offered by auction their entire stud female herd last week at their Beverley farm.

Landmark auctioneer John Wirth, who conducted the sale, said the Rinaldis had spared no expense in establishing the stud, purchasing initial stock from leading studs around Australia.

"Avondell holds many of the records for highest prices paid for bulls at the WA supreme sale," Mr Wirth said. But Mr Rinaldi said that the industry had "all gone awash".

"We gave it our best effort, but there are some people who are holding up progress and I am not waiting around to figure out if I can afford to remain in an industry that is unsustainable at producing the absolute best quality," he said.

"Lorraine and I spent 18 years of our lives developing a beneficial seed stock service and it's all gone now, we are disappointed.

"WA breeders were trying to budget in what we offered, but some- where the investment fell off and we couldn't get the value for our bulls required to maintain the stud."

As was the case with the females that were offered last week, a disappointing $700 start on lot 2 put Mr Rinaldi in a spin.
"It was upsetting at the start; I was totally absent as the sale went on," he said.

As the sale progressed buyers did acknowledge the quality on offer, but with only a few bidders active, prices remained relatively cheap in terms of registered cattle quality.

Of the 49 cow lots, 39 sold on the rail for an average price of $1249.

The sale reached a $3100 top price for Avondell Showtime, a cow/bull calf unit.

Rex and Sue Smith, of Brookton, who trade as Surex Holdings, are hoping the bull will grow into a working sire for their commercial herd of 90 pure Murray Grey cows.

"We bought a total of nine cows today," Mr Smith said.

Stud interests set the other top-prices and David Corker, of Wundam Murray Grey stud, Boyup Brook, took advantage of the opportunity to buy. "I was pleased to secure the $3000 second top price, Avondell Miss Magnolia," Mr Corker said.

Shane Edwards, of Quairading, a first-time buyer of Avondell genetics, bought four cows. Other studs to buy were Viv Giles, of Willawa Greys, who paid $1500 for a cow.

Raymond Park stud bought three cows. Some passed-in lots were sold directly after the sale.

Avondell Murray Grey dispersal
TYPE	OFFERED	SOLD	TOP PRICE	AVERAGE
Cows	49	39	$3100	$1249
Heifers	9	-	-	-
Commercial heifers	10	10	$500	$500

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