WATERFRONT stud's strong standing in the Simmental breed drew stud and commercial buyers from three states its seventh annual Premier Simmental Genetic Sale last Friday near Naracoorte.
Despite the wide geographical spread of buyers who filled the stands at the stud's Naringa sale complex, there was some outstanding value-for-money for the 33 registered bidders.
Nine Simmental bulls made $4000 or less, and five Simmental-Angus and Simmental-Red Angus composite bulls sold at between $2500 and $3000.
Simmental buyers have been spoilt for choice with four Simmental sales in two days in SA last week, and some of Waterfront's growthy, soft, easy-doing bulls failed to attract the competition they deserved.
The Parker and Hodge families described it as a very positive result under the current climate of the beef market and they were pleased with the strong commercial support from the South East, western Vic and NSW.
The powerful, blonde Waterfront Hepworth H133 topped the sale at $6750, entering the ring midway through the catalogue to be bought by Patti and Jim Doelle, Milky Way stud, Edenhope, Vic, The 19-month son of homebred sire Waterfront Elfyn E90 weighed 844 kilograms and had an eye muscle area of 115 square centimetres at scanning.
"We had a bid on a couple of others but thought we would keep going on him," Ms Doelle said.
Long-time Waterfront sale supporter LS Johnson & Son, Naracoorte, outlaid the $6500 second-top for Waterfront Heathcote, a son of Waterfront Broderick B294. Three lots later Brian Johnson and his son Graham bought another Broderick son at $6000.
The Johnsons were recently rewarded for their investment in good genetics, their draft of 161 Simmental-Hereford steers sired by Waterfront and Woonallee bloodlines topping the first Naracoorte weaner sale for 2014. The steers topped at $780 averaging $705.
The volume buyer of the sale was B&S Jorgensen, Mummulgum, NSW, taking three bulls averaging $3667.
Six eye-catching weaner stud heifers met keen demand, selling to $3000 and averaging $2458.
Four pens of March/April 2013-drop commercial Simmental-Red Angus heifers sold at the conclusion of the stud sale also produced a solid result. The 36 head topped at $645 averaging $618 - all going to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson clients.
* Full report in Stock Journal, February 20, 2014 issue.