2023 Bullock Hills Simmental sale tops $19,000

With the $19,000 top-priced Black Simmental bull Bullock Hills Sultan S118 (PP) (by Woonallee Physio) at the inaugural Bullock Hills Simmental sale at Boyanup last week were Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper (left), Nutrien Livestock, auctioneer and Capel agent Chris Waddingham, top-priced bull sponsor Tony Murdoch, Virbac Australia Animal Health, Bullock Hills stud co-principal Brad Patterson, Woodanilling, buyer Paul Lee Steere, Wingalup Grazing Co, Boyup Brook, Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs and Elders Katanning and stud stock agent Russell McKay.

  "BULLOCK Hills Simmental’s inaugural standalone bull and female sale at Boyanup last week recorded encouraging results with prices reaching a top of $19,000. With an expanding client base and steadily increasing bull numbers annually over many years selling at the WALSA Farm Weekly Supreme Bull Sale, the Patterson family decided the time was right to host their own sale. They presented an excellent quality catalogue of 36 majority polled rising two-year-old and yearling Black and traditional Simmental bulls and a small selection of stud and commercial females. The AuctionsPlus interfaced sale attracted strong stud and commercial support both at the sale and online in a show of the calibre of the cattle on off er which saw 35 buyers register at the sale representing mainly the South West and South Coast regions but stretching wider to the Great Southern. Online there were 1454 catalogue views which yielded 17 registered bidders logged into the sale along with 31 viewers from WA, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, which placed 18 online bids resulting in four bull and female lots sold online. There was buoyant bidding throughout the sale which saw plenty of bulls sell for five figures, however it became selective at stages which opened the door for value for money buying, with only a handful of bulls overlooked at auction. After the 40th and final lot had passed through the sale ring, the combined Nutrien Livestock and Elders South West selling teams had sold 30 of the 36 bulls (83 per cent) at auction for an overall average of $7933, two open Black Simmental cow and four month old calf units averaging $4600 and six commercial Black Simmental yearling heifers in two lines at an average of $2000. In the breakdown, the Black Simmental bull line-up took bragging rights with 21 of 24 bulls (88pc) selling under the hammer to the sale’s $19,000 top price and top average of $8619, while their traditional stablemates saw nine of 12 bulls sold at auction at an average of $6333. Broken down even further, under the hammer all 10 rising 2yo Black Simmental bulls found new homes for a $9500 average and 11 of 14 yearling Black Simmental bulls (79pc) sold for a average of $7818, while four of six rising 2yo traditional Simmental bulls sold for an average of $5500 and five of six traditional yearling bulls were cleared at an average of $7000. At their final Supreme sale last year, Bullock Hills sold all 18 Black Simmental bulls for a $7750 average and all six traditional Simmental bulls at an average of $7750. Negotiations continued following the sale on the overlooked lots with a number of sales improving the sale clearance. It didn’t take long for the sale’s $19,000 top price to come to fruition with sale team leader Bullock Hills Sultan S118 having no shortage of admirers when it entered the sale ring to kickstart proceedings in impressive fashion, before being knocked down to the final bid of Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs representing Paul Lee Steere, Wingalup Grazing Co, Boyup Brook. The long, thick, soft muscled Black Simmental bull was born mid-July 2021 to Woonallee Physio and a Bonnydale Tanker L36 daughter Bullock Hills Nurse N30. The homozygous polled bull matched his eye catching physical presence with a strong spread of Breedplan EBVs and CGEN/IGS data (Canadian EPDs) with EBVs in the top 10pc for 200-day weight (DW), rib fat, domestic maternal index (DMI) and vealer terminal index (VTI) and top 20pc for 400-DW, mature cow weight (MCW), scrotal (SC) and eye muscle area (EMA), while on the EPD front it ranked in the top 10pc for carcase weight (CW), top 20pc for calving ease (CE), weaning weight (WWT), yearling weight (YWT), stay ability, docility and both API and TI indexes. The Patterson family thought equally as high of the bull and retained semen to use in their own herd. The Lee Steere family runs a self-replacing 300-head Angus-Simmental cross breeding herd with its latest Bullock Hills acquisition the third Black Simmental they have purchased from the stud. Mr Lee Steere said it was the dearest bull he had ever purchased and was approached after the sale from a few interested parties with semen sales in the bull. “I didn’t think I’d get him with all the stud interest at the sale,” Mr Lee Steere said. “He had a beautiful temperament and I was happy to pay that for him. “Very happy with the two previous bulls from Bullock Hills and the backup service from the Patterson family is excellent.” The Lee Steere family’s main herd calves from March 5 with the heifers a week prior and calves weaned from December 1 and grown out until September and sold into the grassfed yearling supermarket trade aiming for a 300kg dressed weight carcase with 4mm rib fat.

 Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper (left), Elders Katanning and stud stock agent Russell McKay, Bullock Hills stud principals Sylvia and Brad Patterson, buyers Kevin and Janice Hard, Naracoopa Simmental stud, Denmark and Nutrien Livestock, auctioneer and Capel agent Chris Waddingham with the $18,000 second top-priced bull, Bullock Hills Solomon S91 (PP) (by WS Proclamation E202).

Mr Lee Steere said the Black Simmental-Angus cross off ers hybrid vigour and is better suited to his grass finishing program for carcase size and minimising fat penalties. The sale’s $18,000 second top price eventuated with lot five Bullock Hills Solomon S91 knocked down to the winning bid of Kevin and Janice Hard, Naracoopa Simmental stud, Denmark. The 902kg Black Simmental bull was a mid-June 2021 born by WS Proclamation E202 and out of a LFE The Riddler 323B daughter Woonallee Dew It Right N337. The homozygous polled bull’s actual growth was matched with an excellent set of performance figures from a low birthweight bull (39kg) including EBVs in the top 10pc for CE, birthweight (BW), 400-DW, SC, EMA, DMI and VTI and top 20pc for gestation length (GL), 200-DW, rib fat and intramuscular fat (IMF) while its EPDs ranked in the top 10pc for CE, WWT, YWT, docility, CW, marbeling and both indexes and top 20pc for BW, maternal weaning weight (MWT) and fat. Mr Hard said it’s the first Black Simmental bull they’ve purchased from Bullock Hills and it will go straight to work with a selection of their Black Simmental females. He said they researched the bull on AuctionsPlus and selected him after first seeing it in the flesh on sale day. “We started the Black Simmental stud on Woonallee bloodlines and he is an outcross for us,” he said. “Structurally and its feet are very good, with length and volume. “Low birthweight and a great growth bull and is versatile to use over heifers and cows.” The $14,000 top-priced Black Simmental yearling bull honours went to Bullock Hills Thor T44 in lot 24 which was snapped up by RJ & LG McDonald, Karridale. The 717kg homozygous polled bull was a mid-February 2022 born son of KBHR High Road E283 and another Tanker L36 daughter Bullock Hills Pear P47. Its actual weaning weight of 438kg was among the heaviest in the sale team and also recorded an impressive array of growth and carcase data from a low birthweight with EBVs in the top 10pc 200-DW, EMA, rib fat and both domestic and vealer indexes and top 20pc for CE, BW, 400-DW, SC and IMF, while its EPDs ranked in the top 10pc for all weight traits, docility, marbelling and both indexes and top 20pc for CE, BW and stay ability. The McDonalds also added an overlooked yearling Black Simmental Physio son following the sale. The $11,000 top-priced honours for the traditional Simmental bulls was paid by Peter Cook, Barana Simmentals, Coolah, New South Wales, who was operating on AuctionsPlus. He took a liking to yearling bull Bullock Hills Teamster T69 in lot 21, a 644kg early March 2022-born bull by Mubarn Novak and a Bonnydale Lethal Weapon daughter Bullock Hills Rael. The stylish homozygous polled bull was also among the heavier weaning weights in the sale along with EBVs in the top 10pc for milk and both indexes and top 20pc for 200-DW and SC coupled with top 10pc EPDs for MWT and top 20pc WWT, YWT and CW.

 With the $11,000 top-priced traditional Simmental bull Bullock Hills Teamster T69 (PP) (by Mubarn Novak) purchased by the Barana Simmental stud, Coolah, New South Wales, on AuctionsPlus were Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer (left), top-priced bull sponsor Tony Murdoch, Vibac Australia Animal Health, Bullock Hills stud co-principal Sylvia Patterson, Woodanilling and Nutrien Livestock, WA manager Leon Giglia.

Also paying to $11,000 for their selections was the sale’s volume buyer RH & JJ Manning, Busselton, assisted by Elders South West livestock manager Michael Carroll, with the account totaling four yearling Black Simmental bulls averaging $8250 and a red Simmental bull at value for $5000. The Manning’s top price was paid for a polled 730kg late January 2022 born son of KBHR High Road E283, while they also paid $10,000 for the first yearling bull into the sale ring, another High Road double polled son born mid-February 2022 and tipping the scales at 700kg. Mr Carroll said the Mannings have been long-time buyers at Bullock Hills and select for conformation and balance. He said the Mannings run a self-replacing Angus-Simmental cross herd which calves from March onwards with a majority of calves grown out and marketed the following September as grassfed yearlings to the supermarket trade. Jacques Martinson, Elders Busselton, representing RG & R Poole, Busselton, also paid $11,000 to acquire a 942kg, mid-June 2021 born Black Simmental bull by Proclamation E202. Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper sourced four Black Simmental bulls spread evenly from the rising two-old and yearling line-ups while Tullamore Park Simmental stud, Busselton, collected two traditional Simmental yearling bulls paying to $9000 for another double polled Novak son weighing 724kg. The two cow and calf units were the first of the females offered with the Hopkins family, Wormbete Simmental stud, Illabo, NSW, operating on AuctionsPlus collecting both lots for $5200 and $4000. The cows were open rising polled fi ve and six year olds, both by Tanker L36, with the Hopkins’ top bid going to the younger cow out of a RC Club King 040R daughter Bullock Hills Pear M1 with a mid November 2022-drop bull calf at foot. And rounding out the sale was two pens of three commercial Black Simmental yearling heifers vet checked suitable to breed which were both snapped up by PH Smith, Marlo Farms Trust, Gnowangerup, for $2100 and $1900.

Courtesy Farm weekly

2022 WALSA & Farm Weekly Supreme Bull Sale Results

Elders stud stock auctioneer Nathan King (left), Nutrien Livestock WA manager Leon Giglia and Lach, Brad and Sylvia Patterson, Bullock Hills Simmental stud, Woodanilling, with Bullock Hills Red Dog R69 (PP) (by WS Epic E152) that sold for $17,000 to a Victorian buyer at Colac on AuctionsPlus.

  "The largest individual vendor was the Patterson family’s Bullock Hills Simmental stud, Woodanilling, with a sale team of 24 Black and Red

Simmental rising two-year old and yearling bulls. The stud recorded a complete clearance of its. increased sale team at a combined average of $8188 which was down $606 on last year where they sold 17 of 18 bulls at an $8794 average.

A Victorian buyer at Colac operating on AuctionsPlus paid the stud’s $17,000 top price for a homozygous red polled bull.

The 958kg mid-May 2020 born bull was sired by WS Epic E152 and out of a Bonnydale Lethal Weapon daughter Bullock Hills Clementine M68 with a strong set of figures ranking in the top 5-15pc for all weight intervals and carcase weight (CWT), top 5-10pc scrotal size (SS) and top 15- 20pc EMA.

Elders Margaret River agent Alec Williams representing MM & MJ Johnston, Boyup Brook, collected two Bullock Hills bulls paying $10,500 and the stud’s $13,500 top black yearling bull price for Bullock Hills Silas S01.

The mid-January 2021-born 760kg bull was ET bred by Bullock Hills Nightrider and Woonallee Tank N304.

The doubled polled moderate BW and calving ease bull recorded all growth intervals in the top 10pc, top 1-5pc EMA and top 10-15pc CWT.

The Tullamore Park Simmental stud, Busselton, paid the stud’s next highest price of $12,500 for their final bull offered, a mid-February 2021-born red yearling bull Bullock Hills Statesman S37.

The 666kg double polled bull was by homebred bull Dodge (by BH Buster) and out of a Bonnydale Lethal Weapon daughter Bullock Hills  Ashante P21 ranked in the top 1pc for SC, top 10pc for milk, 200 and 600-day weights, top 20pc CW and top 25pc EMA with three of the four Simmental breed indexes in the top 5pc.

Some other higher prices paid for Bullock Hills bulls included Sandlewood Farms, Harvey, $11,500 and BO Gardiner, Mumballup, $11,000, while other multiple bull buyers with two Bullock Hills bulls each were Nutrien Livestock Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs buying on behalf of RH Norman & Son, Busselton, costing to $9500 and Elders South West livestock manager Michael Carroll representing RH & SJ Manning, Busselton, costing to $7000 for two black yearling bulls."

Courtesy Farm weekly

2021 WALSA & Farm Weekly Supreme Bull Sale Results

  "The offering of 33 Simmental and Black Simmental bulls from four vendors was the largest breed offering and once gain like the past couple of years, it received strong enquiry from buyers. By the end of the run 31 Simmental and lack Simmental sires had been sold to a top of $15,000 for a Black Simmental sire and an average of $8468, which was up 1881 on last year’s sale. In the breakdown 13 from14 traditional Simmental sires sold for an average of $8192while 15 of 16 Black Simmentals sold for an $8667average.Topping the breed’s values with a new Black Simmental stud record ice of $15,000for their stud was the Patterson family’s Bullock Hills stud, Woodanilling, with Bullock Hills Quebec 097

(P).Purchasing the homo black bull at $15,000 were ex-Simmental stud breeders Rob and Minnie Italiano, Rosemont Park, Harvey, who bid with the assistance of Elders, Busselton representative Jacques Martinson. Mr Italiano said they liked everything about Quebec Q97. “We did an AI program using a Black Simmental sire last year and have been impressed with the calves we have on the ground so we decided we wanted a Black Simmental bull to use in the herd,” Mr Italiano said. “He is a top bull with great balance, structure and squareness plus he also has a very good set of balanced figures. “We really liked his milk and growth figures in particular his 200 and 400-dayweights.”The 912kg, June 2019-dropbull is by Bullock Hills Tanker L36 (P) and ranks in the top 5pc of the breed for EMA (+4.8), top 10pc or

200-day weight (+29), top20pc for 400-day weight(+47) and top 25pc for milk(+11).The Italianos, who run a breeding herd of 50 Angus and Red Angus females, will AI Quebec to all their females before it goes into the paddock with them to back up the AI program. Along with its $15,000 sire the Bullock Hills stud also sold another five Black Simmental Bulls for $10,000 or more. Making the stud’s second top price of $13,500 was the 890kg Bullock Hills QualityQ040 (P) when it was purchased by MM & MJ Johnston, Boyup Brook. The well-fleshed, moderate framed, March 2019-dropBonnydale Tanker L36 son is above breed average for 200and 400-day weights with figures of +22 and +40 while on the carcase front it ranks in the top 15pc for rib fat (+1.4),while its EMA and IMF figures are in the top 30pc at+2.9 and +0.3.The Boyup Brook operation also picked another Bonnydale Tanker L36 son at$7500.Nannup-based  operations GC & CA Brown and BJ &FH Tomas went to $10,500and $10,000 respectively for2019-drop Bonnydale TankerL36 sons – Bullock Hills Quinella Q049 and Bullock Hills Quentin Q078.Matching them in their bidding were Strathavon Farms, Harvey, that paid$10,500 for a January 2020-drop MRL Missile 138C (PP)son, which has carcase

estimated breeding values(EBVs) of +31 carcase weight,+5.0 EMA, +1.8 rib fat and+1.7 rump fat, while return buyer RH & SJ Manning, Busselton, paid $10,000, for a February 2020-drop BullockHills Night Rider (PP) son that has growth EBVs of +30,+57 and +59 for 200, 400 and600-day weights. The stud’s two traditional sires, which were both by Tullarmore Park Napoleon (P),sold at $6500 to Jardee Grazing, Manjimup and AE &SM Muir, Manjimup. All up the Bullock Hills stud, which was the biggest vendor in the sale, offered 18Black and traditional sires and sold 17 under the hammer for an average of $8794, which was up $2217 on its 2020 sale average."

Courtesy Farm weekly