Gandy Angus bull headed for Bauhinia Park Angus stud in Central Queensland

A quality catalogue of Angus bulls and widespread buying support delivered solid results for the Gandy family at its annual Gandy Angus bull sale at Boyanup last week.

Gandy Angus stud principals Kim and Lex Gandy and their team presented 51 rising two-year-old bulls, ranging from 18-22 months of age with pedigrees featuring new and proven international, Australian and homebred genetics.

The well-bred and presented sale team were also extensively measured and backed with strong Breedplan performance.

While there was strong local South West representation on the buyers list of 37 registered nucleus/stud and commercial beef producers, buyers also descended from afar as the Northern Midlands region, Esperance and interstate to Queensland.

The sale was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus and generated plenty of interest online with 1981 pre-sale catalogues views and 51 users and 32 viewers logged into the sale.

The online platform placed 20 bids across eight lots, with two bulls knocked down to an Esperance and Chapman Hill (via Busselton) buyer.

The sale had a bit of everything, with strong competition on select sires that pushed values beyond $10,000 on several occasions and plenty of bulls in the mid price ranges and value for money bulls, while selective bidding toward the back end of the catalogue resulted in some overlooked lots.

At the completion, the Elders selling team, fronted by Elders stud stock manager and auctioneer Nathan King, recorded comparative results, selling 43 bulls at auction for a 84 per cent clearance rate and average of $7733, two fewer bulls sold at auction and a $211 dip in average compared to last year.

Sale summary

• (Under the hammer results)
• Offered: 51
• Sold: 43
• Top: $20,000
• Gross: $332,500
• Average: $7733

The Gandys adjusted this year's offering back to be in line with anticipated demand and last year's result where they sold 45 of 62 bulls (73pc) under the hammer for an average of $7944.

It didn't take long for this year's $20,000 top price to be recorded in the clerking sheets with the second bull into the sale ring, Gandy Man In Black U148, living up to the strong pre-sale interest when it was knocked down to Elders Bunbury branch manager Deane Allen, bidding via phone on behalf of Jeff Holzwart, Bauhinia Park Angus stud, Emerald, Central Queensland.

The thick, powerful February 18, 2023 born bull was AI-bred by Bar R Jet Black 5063 and a Musgrave 316 Stunner daughter Diamond One Stunner R15 and had been used in the Gandy Angus stud as a yearling.

It tipped the scales at a whopping 918kg, while measuring 45.5cm scrotal (SC) and 6.4 frame score (FS).

It matched its physical performance with equally as impressive Breedplan performance ranking in the breed's top 4pc for 200-day weight (DW), top 10pc 400-DW, top 12pc 600-DW, top 11pc mature cow weight (MCW), top 9pc docility, top 7pc carcase weight (CWT), top 13pc retail beef yield (RBY), top 19pc net feed efficiency (NFI-F), top 15pc gestation length (GL), top 23-35pc for both calving ease traits and Angus selection indexes in the top 15pc for $A-L and top 30pc for $A.

Man In Black wasn't Mr Holzwart's first buy for the day after he paid the sale's $18,000 second top price from the outset for sale team leader Gandy Paratrooper T53.

The February 9, 2022-born AI-bred bull by renowned Australian sire Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 and a Baldridge Bronc daughter, Diamond One Bronc P32, is a proven performer after being used for two years in Gandy Angus's AI and natural matings.

The average birthweight, high indexing bull ranked in the top 6pc for $A and top 16pc for $A-L and along with excellent structure traits, ranked in the top four to 12pc for all growth intervals, top 11pc MCW, top 20pc milk, top 9pc docility, top 7pc CWT, top 13pc RBY, top 19pc NFI-F, top 15pc GL and top 23-35pc calving ease.

Mr Holzwart said Gandy Angus had some interesting genetics and they took the opportunity to check out the cattle at the Gandy Angus yearling bull sale in April while holidaying in WA.

He said they have purchased Charolais bulls from WA in the past for their Charolais stud now owned and managed by his son Ryan, and were familiar with the safe transport process.

"Even though we are 4000km apart, we noticed the Gandy's breeding goals and objectives are very similar to ours," Mr Holzwart said.

"We really liked the bulls we purchased and think they will have a positive impact on our stud.

"We understand the breeding in the bulls, we like the background genetics and look forward to what they will do for our own program.

"The first bull had the genetics we wanted to replace a Paratrooper son we unfortunately lost last year and he is also already proven with good calves on the ground.

"The younger bull is outcross genetics for us, great weight for age, beautiful phenotype, flat backed, square and balanced with a great head and outlook which we believe will be a good asset to our operations.

"Bulls like him are hard to find."

After missing out on the top-priced bull, first time Gandy Angus buyer Ben Creek, B & E Creek & Co, Boyup Brook, assisted by Pearce Watling, Elders Donnybrook, paid the sale's $16,000 third top price to secure lot seven, Gandy Stellar U308, a late March 2023-drop bull sired by a Sitz Steller 726D son Gandy Stellar S195 and out of a Stonedale Weigh Up M424 granddaughter Diamond One Weigh Up R318.

The impressive 844kg high indexing bull measured 45.5cm SC and 6 FS, while recording strong growth and carcase figures for a below average birthweight bull (top 40pc), ranking in the top 17-26pc for all weight intervals, top 7pc milk, top 14pc EMA, top 12-13pc fats, top 26pc days to calving (DTC), excellent structure figures and top 7pc $A and top 9pc $A-L indexes.

Mr Creek said they inspected the bulls at the Gandy Angus field day and Steller U308 was one of their top selections.

He said his father Richard thinks it's one of the best Angus bulls they've bought.

"That says a lot because he has purchased a lot of bulls," Mr Creek said.

"The bull is a meat machine, it has everything right, lower birthweight, fast growth and we were chasing his fat scores."

The bull will be joined to the Creek family's South Devon-Angus cross females to calve in March while they also run a nucleus herd of South Devon females and mated Angus heifers and Lincoln Reds at a leased property.

The next highest value of $14,000 was paid on two occasions.

Long-time Gandy Angus buyer of around 15 years Justin Omodei, J & J Omodei, Pemberton, wasn't afraid to bid up on his selections, finishing the sale with two bulls costing $14,000 and $12,000.

Mr Omodei selects bulls for high growth, good frame and fats.

His top bid went to lot six which had been used at Gandy Angus as a yearling, Gandy Three Rivers U36, an early February 2023 born AI-bred bull by USA sire Ellingson Three Rivers 8062 and a HA Cowboy Up 5405 granddaughter Diamond One Cowboy Up R193.

It tipped the scales at 848kg with all weight intervals in the top 1-3pc, top 7pc MCW, top 3pc CWT, top 11pc EMA, top 24pc RBY and top 8pc $A-L and top 14pc $A indexes.

Mr Omodei bided his time for his next selection, securing another high growth bull Gandy Quarter Pounder U229 in lot 43.

The 824kg March 1 2023 born bull was AI-bred by Banquet Quarter Pounder Q252 and a Sitz Steller 726D daughter and ranked in the top 3-11pc for all weight intervals, top 12pc MCW, top 6pc CWT and top 14pc NFI-F.

The Omodeis run a self-replacing Angus herd which calve from mid-late January, with calves weaned from mid-October to early November and steers sold in the Boyanup weekly weaner sales with their first draft selling well to $1490 earlier this month.

The other $14,000 price tag was paid by a return Esperance buyer operating on AuctionsPlus for lot three Gandy Geddes U155 which had also been used a yearling.

The 844kg February 21 2023-born bull was sired by a Varilek Geddes 7068 son Gandy Geddes S192 and out of a Baldridge Beast Mode B074 granddaughter Gandy Beast Mode S181.

The 6.8 FS bull recorded curve bending performance with a low birthweight (top 14pc) and calving ease (top 13pc Dir), alongside top 4-14pc weight intervals along with top 19pc MCW, top 4pc CWT and top 14pc milk.

The other five figure purchases were $11,000 paid by the Hughan family, New Generation Angus, Brunswick/Dardanup, for an AI-bred bull by Ellingson Three Rivers 8062 and a Diamond Tree dam going back to Ayrvale Bartel E7 with outstanding performance including trait leading 200 and 400-DW and NFI-F, top 2pc 600-DW, top 5pc CWT and MCW.

Bovell (via Busselton) buyer ARW Nominees Pty Ltd paid $10,000 for a late March 2023-born Gandy Stellar S195 son and a Millah Murrah Nugget N266 daughter which was another bull used as a yearling.

The sale's most prominent buyer was Alcoa Farmlands, Wagerup/Pinjarra, who tallied a team of nine bulls at value costing from $5000 to $8000.

Alcoa Farmlands will join around 3900 Angus breeders to Angus and Black Simmental bulls to calve from the end of April to May.

Alcoa Farmlands manager Vaughn Byrd said they have been buying Gandy Angus bulls for the past five years with this year's team a culmination of heifer and mature cow joining bulls.

"They are tough bulls that grow out well and the Gandys are a good family to deal with," Mr Byrd said.

"We selected bulls for some new genetics, good temperament and 200 and 400-day weights to fit in with both our grass and grain finishing programs."

There were a number of buyers who finished with multiple bull purchases.

Alex Tunstill, Elders Capel, bought for three accounts including Ludlow Grazing Company, who were the next largest buyer with four bulls while collecting three bulls each were FG Venables, Yarloop and Yarralena Grazing, Cranbrook.

Brad McDonnell, Elders Manjimup, was another active agent and purchased four bulls for three client accounts.