Top-priced buyer at CAP sale was chasing Rondel Black Tuxedo bloodlines
The top-priced bull at this year's CAP Droughtmaster Sale on Thursday, September 25, was bought by a WA stud chasing its sire's bloodlines, the $180,000 Rondel Black Tuxedo.
The 22-month-old homozygous poll bull, Glenavon Buddy, was purchased by Michael Thompson, Munda Red Droughtmasters, Gingin, WA, for $60,000.
The bull was secured by Nutrien Livestock's Trent McKinlay on Mr Thompson's behalf at the sale, which marks the 39th year at CQLX, Gracemere.
Weighing 726 kilograms, Glenavon Buddy was out of Glenavon 4261, had a scrotal circumference of 38.5 centimetres, an eye muscle area of 146 square centimetres, and a P8 and rib fat of 12 millimetres and 7mm respectively.
His IMF percentage was 4.4, while he had a semen motility of 85 per cent.
Mr Thompson said he was after a bull with Rondel Black Tuxedo bloodlines.
Mr Thompson and John Atkinson, Glenavon Stud, Yaamba, jointly bought Rondel Black Tuxedo for $180,000 a couple of years ago at the Droughtmaster National Sale, but only got 140 straws out of him before he got three-day sickness and became infertile.
Mr Thompson said he used the 40 straws he got over his stud cows and got some amazing calves.
"So, I wasn't really interested in anything other than the Black Tuxedo bloodline because of the success we'd had with so few straws, and I thought we'd throw everything at trying to buy the best of the Black Tuxedo calves," he said.
As well as getting advice from Mr Atkinson and Mr McKinlay, Mr Thompson also consulted his studmaster, Ben Wright, and former agent Kim Goad, and they all recommended Lot 26, Glenavon Buddy.
Mr Thompson said Glenavon Buddy also had a good sheath, which was important for commercial producers in the north of WA, where they had 50-degree days and cattle had long walks of up to 10 km.
"Most herds in the north...any loose sheath up there just doesn't make it," he said.
"He was also a homozygous poll bull, which we've focused a lot of our genetics on since 2014...he ticked that box.
"He was structurally a faultless bull...he walked well, good feet, good structure, good mouth, wide muzzle."
Mr Thompson said a bull's sheath was key for the WA market.
"That's number one, of course,...but station people or pastoralists still want the bone and the muscle and good walkability and doability, and he had good morphology," he said.
"If you're gonna play in the stud game...you like to see your stud bulls in that 80pc morphology, which he does tick that box."
This year, 40 bulls were sold of the 45 offered by the Atkinson family, Glenavon Droughtmasters, Yaamba, and the Geddes families, CMC stud at Springsure.
Mr Atkinson said this was his first and only offering of nine bulls, including the top-priced bull, from Rondell Black Tuxedo as the sire was deceased.
Overall, the sale grossed $421,500, had a clearance rate of 90 per cent, and an average of $10,500.
This was a better result than last year's sale which saw 45 out of 51 bulls sell under hammer for an 88pc clearance, an average price of $9347 and a top of $28,000.
The second top-priced bull was Glenavon Bojangles, which was purchased by Libby Ingram, Skye Grazing, Alpha, for $56,000.
Weighing 912kg, Glenavon Bojangles was sired by Needmor Impact and was out of Glenavon 3905.
The 25-month-old bull has a scrotal circumference of 37.5cm, an EMA of 148 sq cm, and a P8 and rib fat of 13mm and 10mm, respectively. It has an IMF of 5.4pc and a semen motility of 75 pc.
Ms Ingram is a repeat buyer, having paid $65,000 for Glenavon Weston at the 2020 CAP Droughtmaster Sale.
Bulk buyers, Bill and Maxine Cragg, Mourindilla, Dingo, who run 1000 breeders and turn off about 500 bullocks a year, bought five bulls for an average of $7800.
Mr Cragg said he, his father and grandfather had bought bulls from the Atkinson family for many years.
"Three generations had never missed a Capricorn Sale, and we always come back and support John because his bulls just do well," he said.
"They're not overdone, they just hit the paddock and go."
Mr Cragg said the five bulls would go out with the breeders in November.
He said he chose the bulls on their breeding, conformation, good head and feet.
"I produce bullocks, that's what I'm looking for, a good bullock bull, and there's bulls that if they catch my eye, that's step one and then I just go from there," he said.
"I first look at the bull and, if I like it, then I look at the data."
Mr Thompson congratulated Mr Atkinson on a fantastic sale.
"He's a very good stockman and a good friend, and I'm really happy for him," he said.
"Munda Reds has always got great results from purchases, starting in 2017, from Glenavon. Their toughness is second to none.
"And if you're gonna give your money to anyone in this world, you give it to people you like."
Mr Atkinson said he was pleasantly surprised with the price of the top-priced bull.
"We're very happy with the sale, the clearance is good, and there were a lot of regular buyers that come back year after year, and it's good to see some of those lead bulls going into high-end stud herds," he said.
Mr Atkinson said his bull breeding philosophy was that bulls had to have length, bone, and natural muscling.
He said temperament was also paramount.
"It's just pretty basic stuff, it's not rocket science."
- Selling agents: Nutrien Livestock and Stocklive
