By Courtney Walsh and Kane Chatfield
Murray Grey
Following the Poll Hereford line-up, the Murray Grey offering at the 2018 Invitational sale was bolstered by the addition of a new stud presentation to the catalogue meaning there were plenty of upstanding grey sires available for purchase.
Willawa Greys, Newdegate, joined Young Guns, Hyden, to offer a total line-up of 19 Murray Greys on the day, of which 15 sold at auction to an average of $5150.
The well-muscled and balanced quality of the Wheatbelt reared Young Guns bulls took the limelight however, with the very first bull into the ring taking the top-priced Murray Grey gong when RV Epton, Bindoon, went all the way to $7750 to secure it.
The 854kg Young Guns Midas BJL M65 was born in May 2016 by Young Guns Grand Slam and out of one of the elite stud females at Young Guns Maple G77.
The moderate birthweight bull displayed plenty of scale and frame and growth.
Return buyer FS & KM James, Hyden, was one bid shy of equaling the top Murray Grey price when it secured the next bull for $7500.
Young Guns Magnum M28 was another Grand Slam son born early April 2016 and displayed an even set of above average growth and carcase EBVs.
The James family purchased another Young Guns bull for $5000.
The rest of the 14 bulls offered by the Young Guns stud sold to a total clearance and an average of $5232, up by $128 on the stud’s 2017 result.
Many of those bulls headed back to the Wheatbelt with return buyers from Hyden joined by others from Quairading, Holt Rock, Collie, New Norcia and Wandering to help clear the draft of well-bred Young Guns bulls.
Willawa Greys offering its first line of bulls at the fixture struggled for competition on the five big-framed sires it offered, selling one under the hammer at $4000 to Timbarra Trading Trust, Wandering.
The bull, Willawa Greys Magenta GGO M27 was a silver March 2016-born calf, sired by Ayr Park Fonzie F75 and had growth figures including +24, +41 and +56 for 200, 400 and 600-day growth, an EMA of +1.8 and a retail beef yield of +1.2.
Timbarra also purchased a Young Guns bull for $4000 at the sale.
With the $7750 top-priced Murray Grey bull at the sale, Young Guns Midas M65, were Young Guns stud principal Lindsay Bagshaw (left), Hyden and Elders South West livestock manager Michael Carroll.