First progeny of young sires lead the way at Wormbete's final traditional offering

The first progeny to be sold in the country by an international sire have reached the top of Wormbete's final traditional Simmental offering near Illabo on Wednesday, September 10.

The sale, in which cattle sold to five states, marked the Hopkins family's 53-year dedication to the breed, which began with John Hopkins' father, Henry, in 1973.

The traditional cattle paved the way one last time, with bulls reaching a top price of $27,000 and two young females selling to $21,000.

In the breakdown, 14 of 19 traditional Simmental bulls averaged $9860; 17 of 27 black Simmental bulls sold to $14,000, averaging $8060; and four of five herd sires sold to $18,000, averaging $10,750.

In the females, all 18 cows and calves sold to a top of $20,000 to average $11,333, one pregnancy-tested-in-calf cow sold for $9000, and all 43 heifers sold to a top of $21,000, twice, for an average of $7697.

All five semen packages of Sunny Valley Canon 85E sold for a top of $340 a straw to average $304.

The first traditional bull to be offered, Wormbete Velocity V95, came out on top of the sale, selling for $27,000 to Joe Streeter, Streeter Grazing, Taroom, Qld.

The homozygous polled bull was the first Wormbete Thor T131 son to be sold, weighing 548 kilograms at 13 months with a scrotal circumference of 36 centimetres.

From an influential cow line in Wormbete Mishka M50, who was a Wormbete Jackaroo J64 daughter, the young sire ranked in the top 10 per cent for his stayability expected progeny difference (EPD) figure of +17.8, while being in the top 5pc for milk at +32.4.

He also ranked in the top 20pc for maternal weaning weight (MWWT) at +69.3 and in the top 30pc for carcase weight at +30.8.

In the Black Simmentals, the first progeny offered by Bonnydale Table Top T150 claimed the top price of $14,000, purchased by longtime supporters of the program, Southern Black Simmentals, Rye Park.

Wormbete Veteran V61, a homozygous polled, homozygous black bull, was from a Woonallee Lumberjack daughter, Wormbete First Base Q24.

Weighing 580kg at 13 months with a scrotal size of 38cm, Veteran V61 placed in the top 10pc for stayability of +19.6, while also being in the top 20pc for rib eye area (REA) with +1.04.

Simon Hale, Southern Black Simmentals, said the young sire was a good, balanced bull for his 80 female Black Simmental program.

"He had good balanced EPDs, he was soft and deep," he said.

"He will be going over our mature cows."

In the females, a daughter by the Canadian sire, Silver Lake Jackson 24J, reached the equal top price of $21,000.

Wormbete Mishka V82 was purchased by Hartfield Simmentals, Sutton Forest.

From the pivotal cow line in the Wormbete program in Wormbete Mishka R4, the 13-month-old red female ranked in the top 1pc for her stayability EPD of +19.7, while being in the top 10pc for birthweight at +3.2.

She also ranked in the top 15pc for milk at +32.1, docility at +13.4 and REA with +0.98.

Purchaser Anthony Simonetta said the operation seriously believed in the Wormbete program.

"We'll be glad to have her in our herd," he said.

"She's a very nice-sized female, she'll be a bull producer and especially we want to tap into that Queensland market a bit more, and that's exactly what we're looking for.

"We're a very young stud, but we're excited and we want this female in our herd."

The three daughters offered by the US sire averaged $19,000. All up, the Southern Highlands stud purchased an additional four heifers for an average of $10,800.

The next female to reach the top price was a Sunny Valley Canon 85E daughter, Wormbete Henrietta V30, purchased by Tullayr Simmentals, Scone.

The daughter of the now deceased sire from a Wormbete President P181 daughter, Wormbete Henrietta V30 ranked in the top 2pc for yearling weight, and the top 5pc for milk and MWWT values of +34.2 and +76.1, respectively.

She also ranked in the top 10pc for her carcase weight and fat values of +36 and -0.082, while being in the top 15pc for her weaning-weight and docility figures as well as both her $indexes.

The Scone operation also purchased Wormbete Mishka V62 for $20,000, who was a full flush sibling to the first equal top-priced heifer by Silver Lake Jackson 24J.

George Wragge, Tullayr Simmentals said having followed various programs and bloodlines within Wormbete, he was able to purchase some young females that had been at the core of the herd throughout the 53 years of breeding.

"There was some unique genetics there also on the sires side," he said.

"She's something a little bit diverse compared to what people have in their paddocks.

"What I'm trying to do with cattle going into Queensland, I think there's quite a bit of scope in those females to breed the type of bulls I want to be marketing in the near future."

He said the program was focusing on taking the tail out of the program's females and concentrating on the elite breeders through embryo and IVF work.

The top-priced herd sire was Wormbete Thor T131, who sold to an online purchaser from Nebo, Qld, for $18,000.

The sale's volume buyer was Simmentals of Texas JV, who purchased 18 females for a top of $20,000 to average $11,350.

Other notable sales were Casa Toro Simmentals, Moraby, Qld, who took home Wormbete Henrietta M76 for $9000, and seven-year-old herd sire Wormbete President P181 for $8000.

Wormbete stud principals John and Nicole Hopkins said they were proud of the line of cattle offered.

"They were an exceptional line of females," Mrs Hopkins said.

"In our opinion, they were beyond compare; we're just pleased they will go out and elevate traditional breeding herds throughout Australia.

"We're excited to take our black Simmental herd forward with the quality of females around us."

The sale was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions with Tim Woodham and Peter Godbolt as auctioneers. AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.