Bull fetches $20,500 top at Monterey's outstanding sale

By TRAVIS KING and CLARE PUGH (Courtesy of Farm Weekly)

Pictured with the $20,500 top price bull, Monterey Gotcha Covered, sold at last week's Monterey sale at Kojonup, are Monterey stud principal Gary Buller (left), Karridale, Elders Bunbury area manager Darren Chatley, buyer Marilyn Hansen, Shell-Dee Murray Grey stud, Kingaroy, Queensland, and Landmark senior stud cattle auctioneer John Wirth.

THERE was only one way to describe last week's Monterey Murray Grey and Angus sale: outstanding.

The sale again cemented itself as the most prestigious Murray Grey sale in Australia.

It set a benchmark - that will be almost unattainable for any other sale - when 92 Monterey and Tullibardine stud Murray Grey bulls sold at an average of $6220 and 28 stud females sold at an average of $5232.

The 100pc clearance of the 30 Angus bulls on offer, which sold at a $5217 average, ensured the sale result will take some surpassing in coming years.

With 190 buyers registered on the day and not a spare seat in the house, there was a buzz of expectation prior to the sale.

In the breakdown there were 94 Murray Grey bulls offered and 92 sold to a top of $20,500 for a $572,250 gross.

Of these, Monterey offered 70 and sold 68 for a $442,000 gross and a $6500 average, while Tullibardine offered and sold 24 bulls to a top of $9250, a $130,250 gross and a $5427 average.

In the Angus bull section there were 30 offered and sold to a top of $8250, a $156,500 gross and a $5217 average.

On the female side of things 17 cows with calves at foot were offered and sold; six first calvers with calves at foot were offered and sold; and five PTIC Y drop heifers were offered and sold. 

The females topped at $11,000, grossed $146,500 and averaged $5232.

This year's sale well and truly eclipsed last year's sale, which at the time was considered outstanding.

The average for the Murray Grey bulls jumped by $1257 on last year, the Angus bulls were up $217 and the female average increased by $1361.

The result was a credit to Monterey principals Gary and Julie Buller and Tullibardine principals Alastair and Jenny Murray and their focus on offering only the highest quality animals.

The bulls were in great condition and impressed all in attendance with their size, muscling, softness and temperament.

Tullibardine Elders Kojonup representative Troy Hornby (left),  Gary Prater, Landmark Lake Grace and Charoy Grazing principal, and Tullibardine Murray Grey stud principal Alastair Murray, with Tullibardine's $9250 top price bull bought by Mr Prater at the Monterey  sale last week.

Elders auctioneer Dennis Roberts said the sale was well supported by breeders from all over the country.

"There was extremely solid support from past buyers and eastern states buyers, plus the Elders network with representatives in attendance from Geraldton to Esperance and all areas in between," he said.

"The success of the sale was a credit to the Buller and Murray families and a testament to their breeding principles."

Landmark senior stud cattle auctioneer John Wirth said the tremendous season in the South-West and Great Southern had a positive impact on the sale.

"Producers are retaining more heifers for mating this year due to an abundance of feed in these areas and in addition to the normal number of females that go up for sale this year, there has also been a number of dispersals which has seen thousands of breeders come onto the market," Mr Wirth said.

"The presentation of the cattle and the strength the Murray Greys are gathering in WA was reflected in the sale result, while the Angus were also in high demand on the day."

Mr Buller said he was delighted with the support and strength of the sale throughout the catalogue.

"Prices held steady all the way through the offering," Mr Buller said.

"Buyers were even seeking out the younger, yearling type bulls towards the end of the catalogue and after a few years of offering this age group of bulls, buyers are very comfortable to buy them.

"We had a terrific number of past clients and new buyers in attendance and it was also pleasing to see commercial producers bidding against stud breeders and in many cases knocking them off to get the bull they wanted, which is a real sign that commercial cattle people are becoming more and more quality conscious."

Monterey Murray Grey bulls

The big crowd had to wait until lot 30 to see the top price of the sale when a son of well-known Monterey Gotcha sold for $20,500.

Monterey Gotcha Covered was highly thought of by the Buller family and he also impressed Queensland Murray Grey breeders Marilyn and Dean Hansen, Shell-Dee Murray Grey stud, Kingaroy.

The bull, out of Monterey Showgirl, had excellent growth EBV in the top 1-5pc of the breed while his carcase, EMA and RBY figures were in the top 1pc.

His growth figures were +25 for 200 day, +39 for 400 day and +61 for 600 day, while his EMA was +3.1.

Mr Hansen said Gotcha Covered was a smooth bull, with a good sirey outlook and excellent muscling.

"He has good bone and is very correct," Mr Hansen said.

The Hansens are repeat buyers of the Monterey stud - they bought cows and calves at last year's sale - and have used Monterey Millenium and Starlight within their stud.

"This is the first Gotcha blood we will use," Mr Hansen said.

Gotcha blood proved popular on the day with the $15,250 second top price also a son of this sire. This bull, Monterey Gotcha Z36, was spotted at a Monterey field day by eventual buyers Don and Bev Strang, Donnybrook, who went to the sale specifically to buy him.

Well known as buyers of top-quality bulls, the Strangs said they wanted to continue to improve their breeding herd and the calves they turned off from that herd.

They said he was the best bull in the offering and would suit their operation well.

The Strangs said they were always looking to improve their breeding herd and this bull should produce some quality heifers for them and increase hybrid vigour overall.

Gotcha Z36 was the second-heaviest bull in the offering, weighing in at 908kg, and was in the top 1-5pc of the breed for his $indexes and growth traits, the top 10pc for milk, top 1pc for scrotal and the top 5pc for EMA and RBY.

Other higher prices in the Grey section of the sale included $10,750 paid in partnership by Caba Park and Saber Murray Grey studs, Deniliquin, NSW, for Monterey Unit-Holder Z2, a son of Monterey Unit Holder.

This bull, the heaviest of the drop at 996kg, had top growth rates and was in the top 1pc for 400 day growth at +49.

Martindale, New Norcia, was a solid contributor to the sale, taking home four bulls at a $9125 average.

The entity paid $10,250 on two occasions - once for Monterey Go-Get Her, a stretchy 946kg son of Monterey Gotcha, and the other for Monterey Verdict, an 854kg bull with growth traits in the top 1pc of the breed.

There were also a number of Monterey bulls sold at $9250 with volume buyer NS & JS Clifford, Donnybrook, paying that money for lot eight - another Gotcha son, Monterey Gotcha Z1.

The Cliffords bought three bulls in total at the sale.

Alan Heitman, Arena Farming, Mingenew, a loyal Monterey client, was again in attendance, adding three bulls to his sire battery.

He paid a top of $9250 for Monterey Classic Unit, a son of Monterey Unit-Holder.

Other volume buyers on the day included Blainfield Enterprises, Waroona, who paid $7000 and $6250 for a son of Monterey Whiskey Lad and a son of Monterey Exhibition.

Scott River producers WC, BE & DL Avery took home two bulls to a $6250 top, while Donnybrook entity Jarvis & Jarvis was successful on three Monterey bulls, paying a top of $7250 for Monterey Cory, a Monterey Top Shelf son.

Win-a-Bull winners Angela and Shane Clifton, Gingin, received a free Murray Grey bull as their prize but were still active at the sale, taking home two other bulls also.

Graeme Watkins, Bakers Hill, also bought two.

Repeat buyers Errol Howard, Wannamal, took home two bulls and FJ Burton, Dongara, bought two at the auction.

Displaying the reputation of the Monterey bulls was the number of local and eastern states stud interest in the offering.

This included the Melaleuca Murray Grey stud, Manypeaks, which bought a son of Springwell Trump Card for $6000; Bianca Murray Grey stud, York , who paid $7250 for Monterey Steamroller Z168; and Tarlina Murray Grey stud, Port Lincoln, South Australia, who outlaid $8000 for Monterey Zanzibar. JB & JE Wood, Beauvalley Murray Grey stud, Kendenup, bought one bull at $7000 and A & S & G Hobbs, Waroona Murray Grey stud, Molong, NSW, took one bull across the border for $5500. 

Tullibardine Murray Grey bulls

Tullibardine's top price bull was offered in lot two of the sale and sold for $9250 to Lake Grace Murray Grey producer Gary Prater, Charoy Grazing.

Earlier this year Gary paid the top price of $1720 for a line of mated Tullibardine heifers offered at the Mt Barker breeders sale.

This bull was bought to go over those heifers.

"I thought he was the right bull to suit my breeding aims," Mr Prater said.

"He will go well over the heifers that I bought."

The bull, Tullibardine Zurich Z35, was sired by Tullibardine Wilson and was the heaviest bull of the Tullibardine line-up when weighed in November 2005.

He had come on well since then and at sale time registered 954kg.

His eye appeal was complemented by a handy set of figures including +29 for 200 day growth, +49 for 400 day and +71 for 600 day.

He was +2.4 for RBY and +2.4 for EMA.

Mr Prater also paid $4500 later in the sale for Tullibardine Zavier Z59, another Tullibardine Wilson son.

Other higher prices paid in this section included $7750 paid by M & L Lusciatti, Kojonup, for Tullibardine Zeke Z40, a Tullibardine Shandon son, and $6750 paid by LR Maguire & Co, Manypeaks, for Tullibardine Zulu.

Volume buyers included repeat buyers FV Hortin & Sons, Kronkup, who paid $5000 and $4500 for two bulls, while NS & JF Clifford, Donnybrook, also bought two bulls to a top of $5750.

Chosen Pastoral Co, Beverley, and Blainfield Enterprises, both bought a Tullibardine bull for $6000, as did co-vendors Gary and Julie Buller, Monterey stud, who bought Tullibardine Zig Zag, a Monterey Sundowner son.

DJ & BE Bell , Redmond , paid $5250 for Tullibardine Zavier and GE & NA Lavendar, Quindanning, also paid $5250 for Tullibardine Zebra Z24.

Monterey Murray Grey females

While it is usually the case that the boys upstage the girls in any given cattle sale, the same could not be said for the 28 classy Monterey Murray Grey females that graced the ring last Wednesday.

While premiums were paid for the Murray Grey and Angus bulls in the initial part of the sale, the hype which had been in the air from the beginning of the day did not evaporate when they started on the females with lot one, Monterey Rowan U29 (PB), setting the pace at $11,000.

An attractive "three-in-one" unit and noted in the catalogue as being one of the best packages the stud had ever offered, Rowan had a beautiful heifer calf at foot and was PTIC to Monterey Steamroller.

Sired by the well-known Monterey Starlight, Rowan was truly a class act possessing the structure, femininity and muscling typical of a true Starlight daughter.

Buyers Wylie Woolcock and Ray Palmer, Raymond Park, Toodyay, needed no further convincing of the attributes this female and her heifer calf would bring their stud and showed no hesitation as the price continued to climb.

They had read up on her prior to sale day and a big influencing factor was the heifer calf at foot that was the first and only Stratosphere daughter to be offered at sale, they said.

Mr Woolcock and Mr Palmer said they were chasing some specific Monterey bloodlines to inject some new blood into their herd and help lift the bar in terms of class.

Raymond Park continued to buy throughout the female section and included the second top price female, Bundaleer Jessica S22 (AI) in its purchases.

Sparking intense interest, Jessica eventually sold for $9250 to the stud and came with a promising bull calf at foot while also PTIC.

Prices continued to astound in the "three-in-one" female lines with MR & RA King, Brighton Farms, Goomalling, paying $7000 for Monterey Model 3rd (AI) (PB) who had a bull calf at foot and was PTIC to Monterey Stratosphere.

Studs clearly saw the opportunity to obtain some of the state's best breeders and there were several buyers who bought up big with Alan Marshall, Karakara Murray Grey stud, Donnybrook, doing just that - securing four PTIC calf cows with calves at foot and one heifer to an average of $4938 and top of $5500 in the cows and paying $5250 for the single heifer.

Sussex Park Murray Grey stud, Canowindra, NSW, was also a major contender, securing three PTIC cows with calves at foot to a top of $5500 and average of $4667 while RS & TJ Menzies bought one mature PTIC female with bull calf at foot for $6500 and one PTIC first calver with heifer calf at foot for $5500.

LR & GT Simmons, Brookton, paid $6750 for Monterey Kuri W21 (PB), who was a first calver, PTIC and with bull calf at foot, while MA & LJ Kavanagh, Tenterden, paid $6250 for Monterey Joyce Y156 (AI) (PB), who was also PTIC and had a solid bull calf at foot.

Working in partnership, Sam Owen, Bundaleer Murray Grey stud, and Richard Hall, Precision Transfers, obviously had big plans for star lot Monterey Megan (PB), which they bought for $5250 PTIC complete with stylish heifer calf at foot.

Shane and Angela Clifton, Gingin, made a big purchase when they secured the PTIC Monterey Showgirl P1 (AI) (PB) and her bull calf for $6250 while T & E Mostert, Redmond, made away with a great combination that included PTIC Monterey Showgirl W70 (AI) (PB) with heifer calf at foot for $5500 and PTIC first calver Monterey Primrose X107 (AI) (PB) also with heifer calf for $4000.

Shell-Dee Murray Grey stud, Queensland , rounded out a great flying trip to the state when it finalised its purchases with the stylish Monterey Miss Annabelle Y99 (PB), bought for $5750 with heifer calf at foot.

For a summary of the Sale Results please Click Here.