WA Angus prestigious Strathtay Trophy won by the Davis family of Coonamble

The Davis family, of Coonamble Angus stud in Bremer Bay, along with their staff, have been awarded the prestigious 2022 Strathtay Trophy for “smashing records” and setting new benchmarks in WA’s cattle stud industry.

The award was presented at the WA Angus annual meeting at the Claremont Showgrounds on January 20, with chairman Mark Muir announcing the win.

Craig Davis said the award meant a lot to his family.

“We thank the WA Angus Committee and acknowledge its strong support — kudos also to local WA breeders and the national society body, Angus Australia, for all their dedication to the breed,” he said.

“It has been a great step for me personally to contribute to my family’s success after I returned to the farm in 2016 to carry on my father’s unique commercial approach to stud breeding.”

Mr Muir said the committee’s decision to award the Davis family was based on what they had achieved, while a number of other candidates “stood tall”.

It comes after Allegria Park Angus stud principal Andrew Kuss of Esperance, won the award in 2021.

“The winners came as no-surprise as their enterprise did so well — not only did they smash records and averages, they also set new benchmarks that are going to be hard to match,” Mr Muir said.

The annual Strathtay Trophy established in 2004 was derived from the Young family , of Strathtay stud in Narrogin, was to recognise an individual or groups achievement in promoting the Angus breed.

It is judged by means of success in exhibiting, or through the sale or purchase of stud or commercial stock, or setting a high standard in the candidate’s chosen field.

The Davis family and their team set new WA records and average prices last year including the most expensive bull ever sold in the State, setting a new record $72,000 top-price was Coonamble Frontman R501, and the sale produced a new State record average price of $13,422.

The record smashing continued at the Davis family’s November female sale with a new WA record price of $62,000 for Coonamble L283, a well-bred 2015 matron that goes back to Coonamble Elevator E11.

The previous record price for a bull was held by Coonamble when it sold a bull for $50,000 privately to an Eastern States syndicate in 2011 and the previous female top-price was when Mordallup sold a heifer last year for $20,000.

Coonamble founder Murray Davis, who individually won the Strathtay Trophy in 2014, established the stud in 1967.

With unwavered attention towards acquiring quality genetics, Mr Davis gained national attention in 2011 when Coonamble Elevator E11, sold privately to a syndicate of Eastern States studs for a WA record price of $50,000.

“In my 44 years of breeding bulls, E11 is the best bull I have ever been involved with,” he said.

“I have the utmost faith in E11 and his sire Z3 whose bloodlines will prove most influential in Australasia.”

Mr Davis’ foresight came to fruition at the recent female sale with the sale topper, L283, having E11’s genetics going back to its dam’s side.

There have been many other major contributions that Coonamble genetics and the Davis family’s breeding objections had contributed to the Angus breed, and with a succession plan in place, the stud will be “hard to match” for some time to come.