Wallawong top bull to Southend

Katanning stud Southend Murray Greys is set to beef up its breeding program with the recent purchase of an "exceptional" bull from New South Wales stud Wallawong.

Southend principal Kurt Wise, who attended the sale at Marriot Park in Gunnedah on July 2, faced strong competition in bidding for the bull, which sold for the top price of $20,000.

The 850kg bull, "Lot 2 Wallawong Xyris LEJ J16", was sired by Melaleuca Chaser and out of donor cow Bundaleer Esmeralda A32. The bull's raw EMA scan was 121sqcm, with fat scans of 10mm and 6mm on rump and rib, respectively.

"Xyris caught my eye with the photo on the catalogue. He showed great strength of spine, exceptional sire's outlook and softness," Mr Wise said.

"I was also very impressed with his maternal bloodline, with his grandmother still calving at 15."

Mr Wise said on seeing the bull in the flesh, he was impressed with its softness, length, large frame and quiet temperament.

"He was a very complete package. He was definitely the bull that was going to complement our herd," he said. "I am looking forward to using Xyris throughout our herd, giving a quality outcross option to clients in the future."

Wallawong principals Lachlan and Kate James said their sale was "an awesome endorsement of our carcase quality focus".

With a full clearance, 21 Wallawong bulls sold to buyers from across Australia for an average of $6666. A total of 11 registered heifers also sold to a top of $2750 and average of $2068, while six commercial heifers sold for $1700 each.

"Well-muscled Murray Grey bulls producing progeny that meet Meat Standards Australia requirements are highly valued in the commercial beef sector," Mr James said.