Mt Barker’s Blue Ribbon Bull Sale peaks at $19,500

A Denmark-bred Naracoopa Black Simmental bull topped the Great Southern Blue Ribbon Bull Sale, selling for $19,500 as 49 bulls and four stud heifers were offered at the first sale of the year. The Nutrien Livestock sale at the Mt Barker Regional Saleyards on January 17 saw 43 bulls sold on the fall of the hammer for an average price of $8000, up $1139 per head on last year when 54 bulls sold for an average price of $6861. The offering of bulls included 17 Simmentals, five Limousins, nine Charolais, 13 Angus and five Red Angus. SIMMENTAL The sale topper, Naracoopa Senior S019 (P) (B), was a January 2001-drop Black Simmental bull by Bullock Hills Cowboy M5 (PP) (B) and out of Naracoopa Olivia Q006 (P) (B). Greendale Simmental stud principal Andrew Hann, of Esperance, who was top-priced buyer last year, said he liked the bull’s length and stretch. “I used similar genetics over my Black Simmental stud cows and that worked really well,” he said. Naracoopa stud co-principal Kevin Hard said N Senior S019 was born out of a heifer and carried the highly regarded Olivia bloodlines back to Woonallee Olivia K170. It was Mr Hann’s third year in a row to top the sale after buying a traditional Simmental bull last year from the WA College of Agriculture — Denmark for a Blue Ribbon record sale top price of $24,000. A traditional Simmental bull, Naracoopa Samuel S015 (P) (TW), sold for the sale’s $18,500 second top price to the Cowcher family of Willandra Simmental stud in Williams. Willandra stud co-prncipal Peter Cowcher said the bull represented complete outcross genetics on the sire side. “This Poll sire will add to our genetic pool and he carries excellent carcase attributes plus a low birth weight and has a great domestic market index figure,” he said. Another Naracoopa Black Simmental bull sold for $15,500 to Denmark account BDT & RJ Vigus. Overall, the Hard family of Naracoopa sold 11 bulls for the sale’s best average price of $10,454/head. WA College of Agriculture — Denmark also offered Simmental bulls, with all four sold to a top of $10,000 for Inlet Views Sawyer (P), which went to Busselton account RH Norman & Sons. Inlet Views Sawyer was by Mubarn Quinn (PP) and out of Inlet Views Q9 Diana (H). The four Naracoopa Simmental heifers were all passed in. LIMOUSIN Kevin Beal’s Albany-based Shannalea Limousin stud offered five and sold four bulls, with the highest price $9000 for Shannalea Snoopy S6, which sold to Lonaker Limousin stud principal Max Farley, of Narrikup. Mr Beal said Snoopy S6, by Morrisvale Lumberjack and out of Shannalea Too Much Fun Q6, was an outstanding homozygous polled sire with all the length, depth and muscle the Limousin breed was renowned for. CHAROLAIS Regular sale vendors Doug and Dani Giles of Quicksilver Charolais stud in Newdegate brought nine bulls to the sale, with the $9500 top-priced sale to repeat buyers Graham and Ingrid Ayers of Kronkup. The sale topper, Quicksilver Schooner (P), was by Quicksilver Quantum (P) and out of Quicksilver Krystal N21 (P). Another Charolais, Quicksilver Sherriff (P), sold to Denmark account G & TJ Ross & Company for $8000. ANGUS Leading off the Angus catalogue, Ponderosa Genesis S2, offered by Greg Brown’s Ponderosa stud in Green Valley, sold for the breed top-price of $14,500 to Queensland buyers K-5X Angus stud principals Steve Hayward and Keilly Smith of Allora. Genesis S2 was by Pathfinder Genesis G35 and out of Ponderosa Vicky F75V, the pedigree attracting the couple to secure their first Ponderosa bull at the Blue Ribbon sale. Mr Hayward said the bull had extra frame and growth plus excellent structure. “My partner Keilly is orginally from Albany, so we have a connection with the genetics available there,” he said. They also bought another bull for $5000, Quicksilver Syd, which will be used in their Advance Charolais stud. The Ballawinna Angus stud received solid support, with all eight bulls offered selling to a top of $9000 resulting in the sale’s second best average price of $7937/head. Mick Pratt’s stud sold Ballawinna Chism S42 for $9000 to new buyer Collyn Garnett of Gnowangerup. Mr Garnett earlier secured a pen of eight PTIC Angus heifers for $4000/head at the Blue Ribbon Female sale. “The bull will go over Droughtmaster heifers with its good calving figures and we will use the Angus heifers to breed a pure line,” he said. “This is our third year back into breeding cattle after selling our Poll Dorset stud.” Two Ballawinna bulls sired by Ayrvale Bartel E7 sold for $8500 and $7500 to South Norna Enterprises in Narrikup. Henry Strattings Superior Blacks Angus stud sold SB Ripper 21 for $6500 to WA College of Agriculture — Denmark. RED ANGUS The Smith family’s Forest Hill-based Kildarra Red Angus stud offered and sold all five of their bulls to a top of $6500 and average price of $6100. One of the $6500 bulls, Kildarra Signature S8, sold to Willandra Red Angus stud in Williams. Willandra stud co-principal Peter Cowcher said he would use the bull over heifers. The other $6500 bull sold to DW Pilkington of Many Peaks through Nutrien Livestock Great Southern livestock manager Bob Pumphrey.