Valley Creek strikes a new Australian record for black Simmental female

A new record was made in the history books for the Simmental breed on Friday, December 6, during Samantha and Stuart Moeck's Valley Creek Simmental online female herd reduction sale.

The sale resulted in 45 of the 47 females reaching a top and Australian record price for a black Simmental female of $35,000 to an average of $6933 with females selling into four states.

In the breakdown, all 18 traditional Simmental females sold for a top of $16,500, an average of $7722, while 27 of the 29 Black Simmental females reached $35,000, an average of $6407.

The record surpassed the previous one set by Bonnydale Black Simmentals, Gordonbrook, with Bonnydale Glendive K199 in 2016 for $22,000, which Mr and Mrs Moeck purchased.

The record-priced cow, VC Strike Q022, was purchased by Litt Cattle Company, Cumnock.

The five-and-a-half-year-old MRL Capone daughter was offered with a heifer calf alongside her sired by RF Caliber 014G.

The pair alone received 54 bids throughout the auction, Mrs Moeck said.

"To get a top-price record, we never thought that would happen," she said.

"We knew she was cool, but we didn't know she was that cool."

The female has proven herself in the show ring as well in the sale, with her previous heifer calf, VC Strike U042, winning grand champion Simmental at the Melbourne Royal Show earlier this year.

The couple owns half-shares in the broad ribbon-winning female, along with Tayla Miller, Blue Gene Cattle Co.

"She -VC Strike Q022- has been a cow that has been under the radar really," Mrs Moeck said.

"She has just poked along and bred us her first heifer calf that we sold to Tayla, and she's a standout.

"So we did the mating again, and hopefully, she's held to the AI again, which will be the same breeding."

The Cumnock purchaser also secured an additional six females throughout the draft for an average of $9642.

In the traditional female portion of the catalogue, four-year-old Tennysonvale Reggie received the top price of $16,500, purchased by Carl Baldry, Tannysonvale Simmentals, Illabo.

Originally bred by Mr Baldry's brother, Nathan, the Tennysonvale Kip daughter was sold at the family sale, where Mr Baldry bid on her.

"I actually bid on her during our sale years and years ago but only went to $10,000," he said.

"Once she'd sold, I said to Nicole, my wife, 'If she ever comes back up, I'm going to buy her.'

"We did bid on her heifer calf -VC Reggie U064- in VC's sale recently, but I thought she was coming up and hoping to get her back."

Mr Baldry said the heifer calf beside the cow now was the same breeding as U064, which sold for $11,000 in the Moeck's sale earlier this year.

"I missed out on her in our sale years ago and have since regretted that decision and have seen her go on," Mr Baldry said.

"I didn't think she would be offered for sale ever again.

"We have a few of her siblings at home, but her sire died last year and he has done a really good job.

"The cow that she is out of is an amazing cow.

"So the proof was already there, and we know what she can do; I didn't really have to look at her to want to buy her back."

VC Kananaskis U022 was the top-priced heifer for the catalogue, purchased by Geurie producer Robert Maxie for $14,500.

Displaying an outcross of Australian genetics, the 20-month-old full-blood heifer was sired by the Canadian bull FGAF Electric Avenue 140E and out of FGAF Kananaskis 096F.

She was offered joined to BLL Rumble 62H and recorded a weaning weight and yearling weight estimated progeny differences (EPD) of +100.70 and +145.40, respectively, placing her in the top one per cent of the breed.

She also placed in the top percentile for weaning weight with a value of +81.65.

Volume buyer in the traditional females was Victorian purchaser Les McBain, Drouin, who took home six females for a top price of $8500 to average $6500.

Valley Creek stud co-principal, Samantha Moeck said the couple were wrapped with the unexpected result.

"These cows have paid for us to buy a farm, that was the goal," she said.

"We're overwhelmed with the support, really; at the end of the day, we are so grateful.

"There are repeat buyers and new clients that we haven't heard of before that have dabbled into VC genetics."

The sale was conducted by Nutrien stud stock, with AuctionsPlus providing the online platform.