Sale summary: 92 bulls sold; top price $30,000; average price $9837; 100pc clearance.
The bull that sparked the idea for the Woonallee N Simmental collaboration between South Australia's Tom and Lizzie Baker and Nobbs Cattle Co's Brett Nobbs helped deliver an outstanding result at the venture's second Queensland sale at Inverrio, Duaringa this week.
Woonallee Los Angeles, purchased by Mr Nobbs from the Baker family for a breed record price of $160,000 in 2017, was the sire of the top priced bull at Wednesday's sale, Woonallee N Protocol (P), sold to Eric and Lyn Slack-Smith, Gladevale, Richmond for $30,000.
Along with the other 91 bulls offered, made up of 63 Woonallee N Simmentals and 29 Gowrie Simbrahs offered by Mr Nobbs, the 100 per cent clearance to buyers from all parts of Queensland represented a $3300 boost on the inaugural 2019 sale average and a $10,000 increase on the top price.
Woonallee Simmentals stud principal Tom Baker said he was over the moon with the result.
"We're so appreciative of what the Nobbs family has allowed us to be part of," he said. "Buyers today just wanted good bulls and there were plenty. Simmental bulls are going well up here in Queensland."
The first red Simmental into the ring, Woonallee N Protocol tipped the scales at 982kg at 29 months and carried an eye muscle score of 144 square centimetres, intra-muscular fat of 3.6 per cent, and semen motility of 80pc.
His dam is Lancaster Blanche G114, a female from the stud's donor program.
Mr Baker said it was rewarding to see Woonallee Los Angeles' progeny breed on so well.
Protocol was the only bull purchased by the Slack-Smiths, via telephone bidding, and Mr Slack-Smith said although they'd only seen a photograph of him, he "looked the goods".
"He's certainly got the genetics behind him, he had good figures, and he also didn't have much white, which can be a problem with export markets," he said.
The Slack-Smiths bought two bulls at last year's sale and said they'd had good success with Simmentals for cross-breeding in a composite herd.
Woonallee Los Angeles' other red progeny were popular across the board, with Bill and Kate Geddes, Doonside, Milman, in the Livingstone shire, paying $20,000 for full brother Woonallee N Prankster (P).
A second full brother, Woonallee N Paradigm (P) went to Howard Nobbs, Carnavon Cattle Co, Rolleston for $14,000, and another, Woonallee N Pastor (P), was sold to the Godwin Cattle Co, Springsure for $14,000.
Sid and Tricia Godwin were the sale's volume buyers in their first venture into the breed, buying 11 in all, 10 Simmentals and one Simbrah.
They also purchased Woonallee N Quizzical (P), a son of the "evergreen" Woonallee Jetstream (P), for $14,000
Mr Godwin said they had recently purchased a property east of Taroom and bought a variety of cattle of different breeds to stock it with, which was when the Simmental qualities became apparent.
"These bulls will go over a herd that's half Droughtmaster, half Brangus - we're looking to put more bone into the Brangus cattle and we wanted to use quality bulls," he said.
The heaviest bull in the sale, Woonallee Professor P290 (P), weighing 1042kg at 27 months, sold to Luke Adams, Loaderry Simmental Stud, Londonderry, NSW for $18,000.
A number of buyers paid $16,000 for a Simmental sire, including Andrew Schwarz, Juanita Pastoral Co, Springure, who secured the bull with the sale's biggest EMA, 153sq cm, Lizzy Valley Mr Percival (H).
Andrew Wilkinson, Barford, Augathella, bought one of the later Simmental bulls offered, Woonallee N Penzance (P), whose sire was Woonallee Los Angeles, for that price, while Tim and Lynette Olive, Apis Creek Pastoral Co, Marlborough, paid the money for Woonallee N Quintillion (H), sired by Woonallee Jetstream (P).
He was one of three Simmental bulls they took home for an average of $13,670.
Two buyers paid the equal top price of $18,000 in the Gowrie Simbrah section of the sale, Toogoolawah's Jack and Megan Fogg, and Lance and Stephanie Whitaker, Last Pastoral Co, Biggenden.
The Foggs purchased 23-month-old Gowrie P081 (H) who weighed in at 916kg and boasted an EMA of 143sq cm plus an IMF of 4.6pc.
They'll be using him commercially to breed for the weaner market, and in their small Koonaworra Simmental and Simbrah stud.
Ms Fogg said he ticked all the boxes for them - colour markings, figures, and temperament.
She said they'd bought both male and female Gowrie genetics before, when the stud was based at Charleville, where they'd found Simmental-cross genetics added weight and early maturity to their young cattle.
Lance and Stephanie Whitaker's $18,000 bull was near the back of the catalogue, Gowrie P103 (H).
He was 21 months of age, 772kg, had an EMA of 132sq cm, an IMF of 4.3pc and semen motility of 95pc.
Two Blackall operations made their buying presence felt among the Simbrahs, including Braden Russell, Mt Macquarie Pastoral, who secured Gowrie P024 (P) for $14,000, and Gowrie P014 (P) for $12,000.
Repeat Gowrie buyer JM Allan & Sons, Erne, Blackall outlaid $13,000 twice plus $10,000 once.
Twelve of the sale's 92 bulls were purchased online, four of them to Stuart Neilsen, Camden Park Grazing Co at Hughenden.
He finished up with two Simmental and two Simbrah bulls, the latter of those costing them $13,000.
Among the volume buyers were Jeff Hyden, Mt Pleasant, Rolleston, who bought three Simmental and two Simbrah bulls for an average of $7600, the Forester Grazing Co at Alpha, buying five Simmental bulls for an average $9200, and Ivan Hay, Canadiavale, Taroom, who took home four Simmental bulls for an average $6750.
The 29 Gowrie Simbrah bulls offered by Mr Nobbs averaged $8655, while the 63 Simmental bulls catalogued finished with an average price of $10,381.
Mr Nobbs said the 100pc sale clearance was especially pleasing, reflecting the times they were in, following suit with the commercial cattle prices.
"There was good competition right across both breeds, particularly from those in central Queensland bullock breeding country," he said.
Mr Baker said they were undecided at this stage what the format of next year's Queensland sale would be but a Woonallee N sale would definitely be on.
- Agents: Queensland Rural, McCaffrey's Australian Livestock Marketing, Elite Livestock Auctions