Taroom producers welcome calves from 2023's $160,000 top-selling Wagyu bull
A family run and operated Wagyu cattle operation in Taroom, who purchased the $160,000 top selling Wagyu bull in 2023, has welcomed the arrival of his first calves.
Garth and Josie Christiansen, owners of Christiansen Cattle Company in Taroom, recently welcomed the first calves from Carnana Station Goldfinger S7013, the $160,000 top-selling bull from the 2023 Elite Wagyu Sale in New South Wales.
The Wagyu bull was also the fourth highest selling bull in Australia for 2023.
The Christiansen family, who have been involved in agriculture for five generations, purchased Goldfinger from Carnana Station Wagyu as part of their expansion into the Wagyu market.
Their new venture, Spur Wagyu Australia, was launched in early 2022 to complement their established beef cattle business, which focuses on a mix of Santa Gertrudis and Angus cattle for the finished grass-fed market.
"We purchased Goldfinger S7013 as we believed he offers all the greatest attributes of a profitable beef carcase animal," Mr Christiansen said.
"His combination of maternal trait values, carcass growth and marble score makes him a contender for one of the Top Bulls in the fullblood Wagyu industry at present."
Christiansen Cattle Company encompasses six properties, managing around 7000 head of cattle in the Taroom district.
Mr Christiansen said they aim to expand both their fullblood Wagyu and commercial F1 herds in the future.
"We believe Goldfinger 7013 offers Wagyu breeders worldwide the opportunity to produce well balanced, high indexing females and profitable carcase animals," he said.
Goldfinger 7013, now three years old, is currently at Total Livestock Genetics for semen collection, with plans for export to the UK and EU.
"This year marks the arrival of his first progeny, born from our top donor cows, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in our fullblood Wagyu cattle breeding program," Mr Christiansen said.
"Genomic testing for these offspring is underway, and one of his first registered progeny owned by Carnana Station Wagyu is holding the highest Breeder Feeder Index figure globally at $810."
