Summary: 73 bulls offered; top price $17,000; average price $6273; 75pc clearance.
It was a magic result for Stephen Lean and Marty Rowlands of KBV Simmentals, invited vendors at the fifth annual Meldon Park Simmental bull sale at the Billabong Sale Complex at Moura on Monday, selling the sale's top priced bull.
Their 1056kg Ekka 2019 reserve senior champion bull, KBV Norbert was sold for $17,000 to West Australian Simmental breeder, Paul Tuckey, Mubarn Simmentals, based at Pinjarra, an hour south of Perth.
Mr Tuckey congratulated the KBV co-owners, based at Murphy's Creek in southern Queensland, for doing the homework to achieve J-BAS 7 status, enabling the deep red son of MRL Red Whiskey to be exported to WA.
Mr Tuckey is the president of the WA Simmental Association and first saw KBV bulls via Ekka social media coverage.
He said Norbert, a heterozygous poll, was a total outcross not only to anything he owned but to anything in WA.
"He is structurally outstanding; I couldn't fault him as a sire," Mr Tuckey said.
He has 40 purebred cows and said he liked Norbert's deeper colour, which seemed to sell better in WA's south west.
At 28 months Norbert had an eye muscle area of 142 square centimetres, an intramuscular fat measurement of 6.2 per cent, a scrotal circumference of 40cm, and semen motility of 80pc.
Mr Rowlands said he was the first of import Red Whiskey sons to be offered in Australia, which they had used as an outcross red sire for softness and depth.
"Norbert carries a lot of the traits we try and achieve - he's commercially oriented with carcase traits," he said.
KBV sold one other bull, Newton, also a double poll by MRL Red Whiskey, for $9000 to the Appleton Cattle Co, which operates seven properties across the Belyando and which runs an internal stud operation to breed replacement bulls.
"We had a very good day and feel humbled with the result, selling both our bulls to studs," Mr Rowlands said. "We extend our thanks to Rod and Lis Skene for inviting us again."
The Skene family, based at Cecil Plains on the Darling Downs, recorded a top price of $12,500 for Meldon Park N207 (P), who was sold to Peter and Rebecca Scholl, Eidsvold.
Weighing in at 918kg, the 21-month-old had P8 and rib fat measurements of 14 and 10mm, a scrotal circumference of 42cm and semen motility of 80.
Sired by Woonallee Lampoon (P) from Meldon Park Facebook (P), Mr Skene said he was definitely the longest of Lampoon's sons in the sale
They purchased Lampoon for $37,000 for his early maturing and softness and this is the first year they have had his offspring for sale.
Earlier in the sale, Adams and Son, Darracourt, Blackall paid $12,000 for Meldon Park Niagra, sired by Meldon Park Hugo.
The Ekka 2019 grand champion Simmental bull, Meldon Park Navigator went for $9000 to repeat buyers, Waugoola Pastoral, Canowindra, NSW.
Mr Skene said both Niagra and Navigator, as well as being dehorned, were four to five months younger than the bulls they were placed beside in the catalogue.
The sale average and top prices were down from last year's success, when Beef 2018 and Ekka 2018 Champion of Champions pair bull Meldon Park Matador commanded plenty of interest, but Mr Skene said they had more than half expected the decrease in the ongoing dry weather.
Related: Meldon Park magic continues
"We had lots of new clients though, which I like to think is down to word of mouth," he said. "And Simmentals have been in the news. It helps that we won at Beef."
The Appleton Cattle Co also purchased from the Skene family, buying Meldon Park N63 (P), a 27-month son of Meldon Park Hugo, for $11,000.
His EMA was 147sq cm, his P8 and rib fat measurements were 15 and 11mm, and he weighed 1200kg.
The price of $9000 was the lucky number for the sale's third vendor, Navillus Park, Obi Obi, who reached that price twice, once for a purebred Simmental bull and once for a Simbrah bull.
The Simmental bull, Navillus Park N34 (P), sold to RB and VA Budd and Willoise Grazing, Injune, while Simbrah bull Navillus Park N87 (P) was bought by D and A Humphrey, Jericho.
Stud principal Jason Johnston said the Simbrah bull's dam had been bought from Darren and Michelle Parker's herd at Murgon, which they had tried lots of crosses with.
It was Droughtmaster sire Redskin Grinner that gave them good nose pigment and sleek coats.
"The progeny have Simmental traits but they're tick resistant," Mr Johnston said.
"The Simbrah results surprised me today.
"We've been selling them out of the paddock to the Northern Territory and WA but we bought a few here to see how they'd go, and to support the Skenes. It was a bit unknown."
The sale's volume buyers included Kelvin Schroeder, Gympie, selecting four bulls for a top of $5500; JW and M Hyden, Rolleston, who paid up to $7500 for five bulls; Farmleigh Grazing of Injune outlaying up to $5500 for five bulls; and Junedale Grazing, Theodore, who paid a top of $6500 and finished with five bulls.
Elite Livestock online bidding had 17 bidders and 39 viewers, and the top-priced bull was purchased through the online system.
- Agents - GDL and SBB