Watasanta sale averages $9208 during dry conditions

Tamworth’s Neil and Rosalie Watson and family sold 24 of the 27 red Santa Gertrudis bulls catalogued for sale and reached a high of $18,000 twice.

It was Watasanta Mustang who reached the top price first when he was secured by S Kidman and Co, Roma, Queensland. 

The 23-month-old son of Hardigreen Park Ringer weighed 904 kilograms with an eye muscle area of 130sq cm and P8 and rib fat depths of 12 and 10 millimetres.

He had a scrotal circumference of 38.5cm and an Intramuscular Fat (IMF) of 5.8 per cent.

Mustang was heading back to Queensland with Kidman’s other $14,000 sale purchase, Watasanta Max, to be used in their stud herd breeding bulls.

S Kidman and Co was represented on the day by Rockybank manager Craig Leggett who said both bulls were powerful types with plenty of meat and good scrotal circumferences. 

Losing bidder on $18,000 Mustang was Armidale producer Clive Pearson who was on the right side of the bidding war when he secured a different Hardigreen Park Ringer son in Watasanta Marmalade for the equal top price. 

The polled 22-month-old sire weighed 926kg with an eye muscle area of 130sq cm, P8 and rib fat depths of 12 and 10 millimetres and a scrotal circumference of 42cm. 

The Pearson family run about 300 breeders of Santa/Shorthorn cross on their 3500 acre property, Glenbrook. 

With an IMF of six per cent, Mr Pearson said Marmalade was the type of bull they hoped would assist their bullock turn off. 

“The length of body, the depth of body and that intramuscle he had, all his figures just added up,” he said. 

Following private sales after the auction, all 11 black Santa Gertrudis bulls sold to average $5181 and top at $13,000. 

The sale also included a small offering of bulls from Phillip Kirkby’s Wave Hill stud, Narrabri, with two of the four bulls selling to average $4000. 

Given the dry conditions facing many producers Watasanta stud principal Neil Watson was over the moon with the results.

He said it was just the right encouragement to continue on in the trying times.

“It has really put some wind in our sails,” he said.

“I think people are appreciating the size and softness in our cattle. We have got a lot of bone and do-ability in them.” 

Bulk buyer on the day was Torres Park Grazing Co, Injune, Queensland, who purchased five bulls averaging $10,800 and topping at $13,000.

Many had tipped Watasanta’s show bull, Watasanta Moneybags, to live up to his name and cause a bidding war.

Instead, the reserve junior champion of this year’s Sydney Royal Show, became a bargain $9000 buy for renowned Queensland stud Waco Santa Gertrudis operated by David and Suzanne Bassingthwaighte, Mungallala. 

The sale was conducted by Davidson Cameron and Co with Paul Dooley as auctioneer. 

FOR most producers the thought of their 13-year-old son placing his finger in the air at a bull sale and landing a $35,000 new sire would be enough to warrant long-term punishment.

While it might seem unrealistic, it was a situation that was all too real for Tamworth and Watasanta stud principal Neil Watson when his son Tom, now 16, purchased Hardigreen Park Ringer. 

But the impulsive buy paid dividends on Wednesday when the first two sons by the sire topped their on-property bull sale, reaching $18,000 twice. 

“My bid was at $25,000 and someone went $30,000 and I walked away,” Mr Watson said.

“My youngest son put his hand up on the rail to the auctioneer and said, ‘Don’t worry about Dad, I’ll take him’ and bought him for $35,000.

“I nearly had a heart attack. 

“He threw the bid in, they took it and I got landed with him. Probably thank God he did, he has done a very good job here.”