Young stud breeder wins Trojan battle at Woonallee bull sale

Thirteen year old Mia Boers, Holbrook, NSW, raised her hand and bought the first bull of the sale, Woonallee Trojan which ended up being the $40,000 sale high.

The April 2022 drop which was the heaviest bull in the draft at 1082 kilograms will be the foundation sire for her new stud.

It was by homebred sire Woonallee Redemption- a bull that Tom and Lizzy Baker had used before selling to another stud - and had EPDs in the top one percent of the breed for growth, milk and carcase traits.

Mia's parents Trent and Kelly Boers who have been buying from Woonallee for a few years for their commercial herd said they really liked the Simmental breed, especially its docility and carcase traits.

"We were looking for bulls with dark red colour and he (lot 1) also has very good structure and good muscle," Mia said.

Mia followed it up her big buy with another red Simmental lot 4, Woonallee Told You So for $16,000.

The March 2022 drop was the junior and grand champion Simmental bull at the 2023 Royal Adelaide Show.

"The Bakers have been fantastic lending Mia a heifer for the SA Junior Heifer Expo last year which she absolutely loved," Kelly Boers said.

New Zealanders Tom and Anna Sanson, Gold Creek Simmentals, Gisborne, who bought last year's $60,000 sale topper were back searching for a Black Simmental impact sire.

They found what they were looking for in one of the spring drops, lot 59, Woonallee Tavern T578 paying $35,000 for him.

Mr Sanson said buying the Woonallee genetics for the past 15 years had provided them with a "point of difference" to other NZ studs. They were now looking to boost their Black Simmentals which were in their infancy.

"It is amazing how we have been able to grow and evolve with the Woonallee program and keep coming back because they always have fresh genetics," he said.

"We want to keep the traditionals terminally focused and build that black program maternally with calving ease and low birth."

Another highlight of Woonallee's sale was a new $35,000 Australian SimAngus bull record.

This occurred when David Brewer and his son Henry, Brewer Beef Black Simmentals, Tallangatta, Vic, bought lot 84, Woonallee Rembrandt T461.

The homozygous polled and homozygous black August 2022 drop was sired by Millah Murrah Rembrandt and out of a top Worumburra female.

"He has got the weight and softness and performance that we want to put into our Black Simmental cattle and he has a really good data set and he is flawless phenotypically," he said.

"If we were to buy an Angus like him if would be triple the price- it is a lot of money for a SimAngus but we think he is where the breed is heading."

A few lots earlier at lot 75 the Brewers were losing bidder to Landscape Beef, Keith, who paid $24,000 for for their Duck Island composite program.

It was an exciting moment for Olivia Baker as it was the first bull she had offered herself.

In nearly Australia wide buying all 101 bulls found homes for a $12,064 average.

In the breakdown the 25 traditional coloured bulls averaged $13,620, the eight autumn drop Black Simmentals averaged $12,500, 32 spring drop Black Simmentals averaged $12,125 and 36 SimAngus averaged $10,845.

These prices were back on 2023's overall average of $15,009 for 113 bulls but in a strong sign for the stud this year bull after bull made $10,000 to $16,000.

Mrs Baker said each of the breeds and age groups had sold well but particularly the SimAngus which they had upped the ante on.

"We couldn't have been happier with the average, It is a pretty buyable price for the industry where it is today," she said.

She said demand from local commercial breeders was often "cyclical" but it was great to see such strong support and for them to get the bulls they wanted.

Old Fairview, Lucindale, which topped one of the Naracoorte weaner sales last month lead this charge with 10 bulls for a $10,080 average.

Three of these were Black Simmentals and the remaining seven were SimAngus.

Long-time clients LS Johnson & Son, Naracoorte bought four traditional Simmentals to a $14,000 high and two black Simmentals at $14,000 and $9000.

KJ&HA McGrath, Beachport secured six SimAngus and Black Simmentals from $6000 to $9000.

Elders auctioneer Ben Finch, who shared the auctioneering duties with NSW stud stock's Lincoln McKinlay, described it as nearly a perfect sale".

"It is probably the result we have been aiming for here for a long time with a couple of stand outs going to studs but everything else consistently making in that $10,000-$16,000," he said.

"It is the the right balance between value for the purchaser and value for the breeder."

Mr Finch said the evenness of the prices in the Black Simmental offering showed the Bakers are gaining the same consistency as their red Simmental program.

."So many people selected the same animals and they are punching them out at the same money, that shows you can come here for true to type animals and something that is going to breed consistently," he said.