Monterey Sentry S53 sells to $25,000 at Karriedale

The Buller family and the Monterey team upped their bull numbers catalogued in this year's outstanding team of 87 Murray Grey and Angus rising two-year-old bulls described by a number of buyers and Monterey alike as the best team ever presented at the sale.

A register of 64 buyers attended the sale to inspect the well-bred and presented bulls and view the video sale live onfarm while there was no shortage of interest online.

New and return buyers represented a diverse range of WA locations with strong local South West support stretching north through the Peel region, Midlands, Jurien Bay, Mingenew and Dongara and east to Esperance and Kalgoorlie and joined widespread interstate interest.

The sale was interfaced on AuctionsPlus and 2619 online catalogue views yielded 34 buyers logged into the sale, along with 55 guests from throughout the country resulting in 75 online bids and 11 bulls selling to nine buyers operating online from WA and Victoria.

The joint Nutrien Livestock and Elders selling teams headed by auctioneers Tiny Holly and Nathan King along with Austin Gerhardy to finish the sale, notched up an 87 per cent overall clearance with 76 Murray Grey and Angus bulls selling under the hammer for $9888 average.

While there was a big crowd in attendance, a few faces missing from last year allowed buyers to fill their requirements from the large catalogue of quality bulls within their desired budgets.

Buyers were content to operate at either end of the market and this resulted in values ranging from $25,000 to $6000 with the sale average accurately reflecting the sale tone.

The overall average dipped $2426 compared to last year's blockbuster of a sale where 78 of 80 bulls sold at auction to average $12,314.

In the breed breakdown the team of 43 Angus retained top price and average bragging rights over their Murray Grey stablemates, with 36 Angus bulls selling under the hammer to average $9972 which was down $2515 on last year's sale where 39 of 40 bulls averaged $12,487.

The line-up of 44 Murray Grey bulls saw 40 sell at auction to average $9813, back $2328 on average from last year where 39 of 40 bulls sold at an average of $12,141.

Angus

The first run of Angus bulls got proceedings underway and it didn't take long for the sale's $25,000 top price to be recorded into the clerking sheets.

Monterey Sentry S53 was hailed as one of the picks of the sale and when his video and photos appeared on the big screen in lot three, it lived up to its lofty expectation when it was knocked down for top dollar to return buyers Dean and Dianne Scott, Silverlands Stud Farm, Bridgetown, who outlasted several hopeful new owners.

The classy thick and soft bull was a mid-June 2021-drop son of Millah Murrah Tex K37 and out of a Matauri Reality 839 daughter, Monterey Vanilla M50.

The 930kg bull recorded excellent scan results with huge weight for age from a moderate birthweight of 36kg, to be the fourth heaviest bull in the sale team along with 6.8 frame score (FS), 134cm2 eye muscle area (EMA), 7.2pc intra-muscular fat (IMF), 13mm for P8 and rib fats and 50cm scrotal to rank number one in the sale team for EMA, IMF and SC.

The Scotts run 600 Angus breeders including a nucleus herd of 60 females which they produce top replacements and working bulls for use in their own self-replacing commercial herd.

Mr Scott said they used a Tex son with success previously with the weight for age of their new nucleus sire really standing out to them.

The next highest price of $16,000 for Angus bulls was paid by three separate buyers including the following bull cataloged in lot four, Monterey Shadow S8, which was snapped up by another regular buyer JL & S Brooks, Witchcliffe.

The 926kg son of Banquet Noonan N33 and a Vermont Duke E193 daughter Monterey Huntress K18 also displayed fantastic weight for age from a 22kg birthweight with scan data of 7 FS, 48cm SC, 13mm P8 fat, 11mm rib fat, 126cm2 EMA and 6.8pc IMF ranking equal second for SC and equal fourth for IMF.

Shadow was a March 1 2021-born naturally reared twin of the bull in the next lot which sold to a Gingin buyer on AuctionsPlus for $13,000.

Chittering graziers Gypsy Hill Trust operated at strong values in both sections of the sale and paid $16,000 for their Angus selection in lot 12, Monterey Sandman S28.

The late March 2021-born bull was by Banquet Pomeroy P430 and a Prime Up River N40 daughter Monterey Serene Q124.

The versatile bull tipped the scales at 855kg from a 33kg birthweight and scanned 6.5 FS, 45cm SC, 15mm for both fats, 122cm2 EMA and the equal highest IMF of 7.2pc.

New buyers Marawa Farms, Cranbrook, entered the sale with a $7000 bid for a Monterey Power Play P167 son (by Millah Murrah Reality K61), in lot 11 and followed up with a winning $16,000 bid for Monterey Star Shine S97 in lot 14.

The younger late May 2021 born bull was by new sire Prime Katapult Q92 and a Reality K61 daughter Monterey Fanfare N176.

At three months younger than his older stablemates, the bull tipped the scales at 916kg to be the fifth heaviest Angus bull and scanned 7+ FS, 42cm SC, 8mm fats, 127cm2 EMA and equal third highest IMF of 6.9pc with EBVs in the top 1pc for 400 and 600-day weight and feed efficiency and top 2pc carcase weight.

Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs, was busy throughout the sale manning several orders and paid the next highest Angus bull price of $14,000 for the second lot Monterey Spartan S13, for repeat buyer HY Armstrong & Co, Burekup.

The 876kg early March 2021 born bull was another Noonan N33 son and out of top performing dam Monterey Ebony H16 (by Vermont Duke E190) and scanned 6.2 FS, 42cm SC, 11mm P8 fat, 9mm rib fat, 5.8pc IMF and the equal third highest EMA of 130cm2.

Long-time Monterey supporter the Mostert family, Scott River Trading, Karridale, paid $13,000 for another Tex K37 son, as did the sale's volume buyers Mark and Nick Forrester and team, Kanandah station, Goldfields and Esperance, who's first buy of the day and only Angus bull purchase was also $13,000 for Monterey Mascot M188 son (by Millah Murrah Docklands J193) which was joined by six Murray Grey bulls later in the sale.

Boyup Brook graziers Yondalee Farm acquired three Angus bulls costing to $12,000, while TI & J Jujnovich, Mundaring and DJ & HM Reid, Nillup, each paid $12,000 for their selections and the McLarty brothers, Pinjarra, were the equal volume Angus bull buyers with three to their account at value from $6000 to $8000.

Murray Grey

It was a different story for the line-up of Murray Greys when the youngest bull in the sale, Monterey Snowstorm S244, cataloged deep into the sale in lot 72 in the second last run of Murray Grey bulls, proved a surprise packet when it claimed the sale's $23,000 top-priced honours for the breed.

The bull was finally knocked down to John Contarino, Gadgarra Murray Grey stud, Yungaburra, northern Queensland, bidding via phone with Mr Abbs, after a lengthy bidding battle with a buyer on AuctionsPlus.

The bull was purchased in partnership with commercial Murray Grey producer Garry Simmons, Ravenshoe, also in the Tablelands region.

The impressive silver coated youngster was an early September 2021-born son of exciting sire Monterey Nixon N289 (by Woodbourn Kimberley K39) and an emerging elite Monterey Matrix M109 daughter Monterey Magnolia Q224.

It tipped the scales at 752kg at 16 months of age and scanned 7 FS, 42cm SC, 9mm P8 fat, 8mm rib fat, 117cm2 EMA and 4.7pc IMF.

The bull displayed an even spread of above average Breedplan performance and indexes including top 15pc for 200-DW, top 25pc 400-DW and SC.

The Bullers thought equally as high of the young bull and retained a semen share.

Situated in the Tablelands region, the Gadgarra stud is Australia's northern most Murray Grey stud and has been registered for 25 years, pioneering Murray Greys in the traditional Bos Indicus cattle area.

Mr Contarino said the Monterey genetics were elite and were being used in every State in Australia.

"Our foundation sire from the Todrina stud was a son of Monterey Star Chief and his imprint on our herd was significant," Mr Contarino said.

"We bought a Monterey elite cow about 12 years ago and have used Monterey semen in our herd."

Mr Contarino said they viewed the bulls three days prior to the sale but due to commitments couldn't stay for the sale.

"We'd picked out the three top-priced bulls, we're extremely fussy and know exactly what we want," he said.

"Snowstorm reminds us a lot of our original sire which we saw as a weaned calf and it's almost identical with their temperament and structure.

"It ticks all the boxes, nice bone, tracks well, structurally sound, softness but also with volume throughout and a beautiful sirey head."

Another bull the Bullers retained a semen share in was Monterey Sandman S33 which was knocked down to a Victorian buyer on AuctionsPlus for the sale's overall $20,000 third top price.

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The powerful silver 900kg early March 2021-born bull was by Monterey Jagger J217 and out of a Yamba Bonanza B32 dam Monterey Miss Daisy G236.

The 38kg birthweight bull scanned 7 FS, 44cm SC, 9mm fats, 129cm2 EMA and 6.1pc IMF to finish equal fourth for weight and EMA, while recording a strong even spread of well above average Breedplan figures including top 10-15pc for all weight intervals and top 15pc CW, milk and EMA.

Long-time Monterey buyers WC, BE & DC Avery, Scott River, finished the sale with three bulls paying from $8000 to the sale's next highest price of $18,500 for another early March 2021-born Jagger J217 son out of a Jomel Glen Earthquake E21 daughter Monterey Mannequin J20.

The silver 824kg bull scanned 6.4 FS, 41cm SC, 7mm fats, 118cm2 EMA and 4.7pc IMF also with an even spread of performance.

The bulls will go to work in the Avery's Murray Grey-Gelbvieh March calving breeding herd with calves weaned from December-January and grown out and sold at around 18 months.

Daryl Avery said they inspected the bulls a fortnight before the sale and selected strongly for soft-muscled bulls with good feet and legs and quiet temperament.

Kanandah station was the most influential buyer of Murray Greys and finished with a quality team of six bulls at values ranging from $6000 to the equal next highest price of $15,000, at a healthy $9500 average.

The Forrester's top bid went to the opening bull in the second run of greys, a silver mid-April 2021-born bulls with strong Monterey influence by homebred parents Pay Pal P201 and Miss Katrina Q73.

The 864kg bull scanned 6.2FS, 44cm SC, 9mm fats, 119cm2 EMA and 6.1pc IMF with strong growth and carcase performance including top 5-10pc EMA, top 5pc SC, top 10pc milk, top 25pc 400-DW, RBY and supermarket index.

Return buyers South West Trust, Benjinup, also paid $15,000 for sale team leader Monterey Senator S132, an early May 2021-born son of Monterey pedigree Marvelous M130 and Dutchess M309.

The silver 884kg bull scanned 6.6 FS, 43cm SC, 10mm fats, 126cm2 and 5.9pc IMF and displayed outstanding Breedplan performance ranking in the breed's top 1pc for SC, top 1-5pc MCW and top 5-10pc for all weight intervals, CW, RBY, vealer and heavy grassfed index.

Mr Abbs operated at the top of the market on behalf of clients, bidding $14,500 for a 866kg Marvelous M130 son on behalf of DD & B Edwards, Dardanup and $12,000 each for two Monterey Mainland M120 sons representing RH & Norman & Son, Busselton.

Gypsy Hill Trust added two Murray Grey bulls to their earlier Angus purchase for $14,000 and $11,000.