Ekka champion Limousin bull sells for top price at the 2025 Jen Daview sale
The Ekka champion Limousin bull has sold for the top price at the inaugural Jen-Daview invitational bull sale to a seedstock producer and semen exporter.
About 200 people packed out the Coolabunia Saleyards on Saturday, August 16, for the first bull sale under the Jen-Daview Invitational name, including buyers from around the Burnett, Darling Downs, central Queensland, and northern New South Wales.
A total of 58 from 70 Limousin and Angus bulls sold through the ring for an 82.9 per cent clearance, a gross sale value of $526,000, and an average price of $9069.
Sarah Benbow and Ben O'Dwyer of Mervale Livestock, Mount Kilcoy, sold Mervale Lone Star to a partnership between the Sawtell family of Lindesay View Limousins in Kyogle, NSW, and Red Oak Genetics, for $30,000.
Mervale Lone Star fetched the sale's top price less than two weeks after receiving praise from judge Ben Passmore for his muscle, softness, and bone when he won grand champion Limousin bull at the Royal Queensland Show.
He was a black Limousin, 23 months old, homozygous polled, and weighed 960 kilograms.
He had an eye muscle area of 136 square centimetres, scrotal circumference of 40cm, intramuscular fat of 5.6pc, as well as P8 and rib fat measurements of 13 and nine millimetres.
Ms Benbow said the Ekka factor created more interest in Mervale Lone Star among prospective stud buyers.
"We are pleased he has gone to a good herd, and it will be exciting to get our name out there among semen importers overseas," Ms Benbow said.
"Mervale Lone Star's dam, Mervale Black Chyna, has performed for us consistently since she was a show heifer at eight months old, about seven years ago.
"He is her third son we have sold, and the first two went for $15,000 and $16,000.
"We breed mostly through artificial insemination: Black Chyna will be flushed to his sire, Richmond Crusader, again later this year.
"And we are hard on temperament, structure, and fertility at home."
Lindesay View Limousins principal Josh Sawtell said he liked Mervale Lone Star as soon as he saw a photo of him.
"We came to the sale with a pretty clear intention," Mr Sawtell said.
"Mervale Lone Star had great eye appeal, a sound structure, and the fertility that we need in our program to breed more females.
"He will be quarantined for 60 days before the team at Ced Wise Animal Breeding in Stanthorpe collect his semen for export.
"Then he will be the mop-up bull for our 50 registered black stud cows that we AI with different sires.
"We have six bulls at home now, and that's probably enough for us."
Interest from a large number of buyers underpinned the sale result, with more than 50 taking home at least one bull.
The Cartwright family at Gin Gin bought the largest number of lots through the ring: three head for an average of $5000.
Separating the breeds on offer, 35 of 36 Limousin bulls sold for an average of $10,314, while 23 of 34 Angus bulls sold for an average of $7174.
GDL agent Mark Duthie said the better runs of bulls exceeded vendors' expectations.
"The Limousins sold particularly well, and vendors were happy with the result on the top Angus bulls," Mr Duthie said.
"Good prices for commercial cattle at the moment certainly help the market for bulls."
- Agents: GDL and StockLive.
