STUD and commercial buyers pushed prices to a $22,000 high at the 9th annual on-property Watasanta bull sale held near Tamworth today.
Neil and Rosalie Watson offered 43 Santa Gertrudis bulls with 30 selling at auction to a sale high of $22,000 and averaging $7697 and 21 Black Santa bulls with 19 selling to a top of $7000 and average of $4300.
The Watson family also offered and sold 19 Pregnancy Tested in Calf heifers to average $1517 per head.
Guest vendors, Brookside Santas, Armidale sold three bulls from five offered for $5000 each.
Watasanta Like-a-Lot 2036 won the $22,000 bid selling to Susan Michell and Murray Smith, Doorabeeba Santa Gertrudis, “Cuulmara” Wee Waa.
The first time buyers were looking for a new stud sire and described the 26-month-old Waco Chancellor son as a “lovely smooth bull with depth, volume and good hindquarter”
Weighing in at 952 kilograms the 2017 Sydney Royal Senior Champion scanned a P8 of 16mm, a rib fat of 10mm, 127 square centimeters for eye muscle area (EMA), 5.4 per cent for intramuscular fat (IMF) and a daily weight gain (DWG) of 1.2 kilograms.
Watasanta Leap Frog 2106 took the eye of Andrew Bassingthwaighte, Yarrawonga Santa Gertrudis Stud, Wallumbilla QLD selling for $18,000.
The 900kg Cardona Novel N37 son measured in the top 5pc of the breed for 200 and 400-day growth and scanned 10mm for P8, 7mm for rib fat, an EMA of 146cm2 and IMF of 5pc and a DWG of 1.2kg.
Andrew’s brother David, commented on the bull, describing the 24-month-old as an early maturing bull with great carcase and an ideal out-cross sire for his brother’s stud operation.
The re-known Santa breeder went on to explain their appreciation of Watasanta bred bulls.
“We had Watasanta bulls before and they did a great job, we like what Neil breeds – great type with the right balance of performance and fertility” said Mr Bassingthwaighte.
In the Black Santa’s Alan Fogarty, Lucy Creek Station, Alice Springs, NT secured seven bulls at $4000 each.
Volume buyer in the Santa draft were the McKay family, Torress Park Grazing, Injune QLD who secured eight bulls to average $7750.
Included in their draft was Watasanta Lager 2108, a Waco Chancellor son purchased for $16,000.
Peter Odell, “Green Mount”, Bingara secured seven “meaty” bulls at $5000 each.
Elite Livestock Auctions were operating at the sale securing one bull for $15,000.
Stud principal, Neil Watson was appreciative of the support at the sale and put the lagging sale results down to lack of rain particularly out west and in Queensland.
The sale was settled by Davidson Cameron and Co with Paul Dooley, Tamworth as Auctioneer.