Four hardy breeds in X Factor sale

The inaugural Elders Invitation X Factor Bull Sale will take place at the Coolina Sale Complex in Narngulu on April 17, beginning at 10am.

The all-new sale will offer 110 bulls, including 33 Droughtmasters, 20 Brahmans, 49 Santa Gertrudis and eight Senepols from seven studs.

Sale co-ordinator David Hall said regular annual Narngulu vendors, including his own stud, Tanglewood, and the Merryup stud, owned by Bill Sounness, were keen to change their selling program this year so that most Santa Gertrudis sold in WA would be all offered on the same day.

"The starting time at 10am on the Tuesday was scheduled not to interfere with the afternoon sale at Biara stud, Northampton," Mr Hall said.

Merryup will offer 30 bulls, Tanglewood 17 and Gundamain two for a combined total of 49 Santa Gertrudis bulls at the one venue.

"We want to allow pastoralists a complete day to concentrate on their requirements," Mr Hall said.

Two stud principals will also be offering Droughtmaster bulls after each acquired Sunnyvale stud females with calves at foot in 2011 from John Gardner's reduction sale.

Mr Hall will offer 21 Droughtmasters under the prefix Hallmark while Mr Sounness will offer 12 bulls under his existing Merryup.

The new sale concept also enticed another regular Narngulu vendor to join the ranks.

John Wesley's Charlesville Brahman stud will offer 20 bulls alongside the new sale innovators.

In addition, new vendor, Murion Cattle Company, will be offering eight Senepol bulls.

"We have an interest in providing bull buyers with the right mix of options," Mr Hall said.

The Droughtmaster bulls will lead the sale and Mr Hall said the two vendors were pleased to be offering what is now equally the most sought after Bos Indicus breed used in both pastoral and agricultural production systems.

"Bloodlines in these docile young cattle are fixed, firm and of the highest quality," he said.

"The polled honey-coloured bulls in the two-stud draft can quite conceivably be traced back to their ancestry, back to Burnside Darcy.

"Darcy was a bull bred at Ingham, Queensland, a half a century ago and his genes may be found in much of today's leading Droughtmaster stock."

Both vendors will carry on the tradition of offering progeny based on Sunnyvale bloodlines, one of the State's oldest and most well known studs.

All bulls have been semen quality and Pestivirus tested and vaccinated with 7 in 1, Vibrovax and Pestiguard.

Next in the catalogue will be the offering of 20 Brahmans from Charlesville stud.

Stud principal John Wesley will offer 11 Grey Brahmans and nine Reds ranging from 17 months of age to 28 months.

"Once again, Charlesville is having another tough year - feed is short in supply," Mr Wesley said.

"But the bulls are showing excellent temperament, muscling and good genetic value.

"These bulls have made their way by the way they're made. The muscle is bred on, not fed on."

In the Santa Gertrudis catalogue, three studs are offering a total of 49 bulls.

Bill Sounness' Merryup stud will offer 30 bulls.

"These bulls are bred from tropical bloodlines, sired by bulls bred south of Rockhampton, Queensland, and sourced from KM Cattle Co," Mr Sounness said.

"They are all strong, content bulls, with loose skin and hooded eyes."

He said 14 bulls had been poll and horn gene tested.

Mr Sounness said all bulls had been semen quality tested and vaccinated with 7 in 1, Vibrovax and Pestigard.

David Hall's Tanglewood stud will offer 17 Santa Gertrudis bulls while Ben Hall will offer two Gundamain bulls.

The eight Senepol bulls are being offered by Haydn Hargreaves' Murion Cattle Co stud.

Mr Hargreaves said Senepol cattle were known for their tolerance of heat.

"They have also been researched to have great immune response aided by generations of natural selection," he said.

"Senepols are similar to Angus in calving and light birth weight.

"They are also naturally polled and known for tender beef quality."

Mr Hargreaves will be offering eight rising two-year-old Senepols at the X Factor sale.

The X Factor vendors will host a pre-sale inspection, sundowner, on Monday, April 16 from 4pm onwards.