'Cream of the Crop' online auction puts highly-ranked bull well on top
In their second online sale, BoonARKM and Limitless Cattle Co, Blackfellows Creek, soared past last year's top to $10,000 for Lot 3.
Stud principals Jordan and Annie Palmer were pleased with the outcome of their 'Cream of the Crop' sale and how the results panned out.
"We had a feeling Lot 3 would top the sale, he has got a really impressive set of data and phenotypically he's all there," Annie said.
"He has a tidy little outcross to a lot of genetics in South Australia and we thought he would attract some attention."
Purchased by Brenton Davis and Kate Hayman at Inman Valley, Lot 3, Limitless Q7 Victorious V119, is the first of their Baldridge Versatile sons to sell.
The July 2024 born bull ranked in the top 6-9 percent for all growth figures, top 16pc for rib fat, and top 14pc for IMF.
Of the live offerings, seven of 10 bulls offered sold to a top of $10,000 and average $6070, one of two steers sold to $2500 and the one heifer sold to $3000.
All semen packages sold, to $270/ea (two straws) for lot 14 sired by Triple C Singletary S3H, which was purchased by Charlomine Simmentals at Myponga, while all embryos were sold to GB Livestock in NSW to $900.
The heifer, a 10-month-old, Limitless Dream Catcher W145, sold to $3000 and will go locally to Woodside.
Lot 13, a yearling steer sold to $2500 on the day of the auction to Barry Smith at Kangaroo Island, and will make his way to Parndana Campus. Annie said he will continue to go to Adelaide Show, something she'd hoped. While a private sale on Tuesday saw the second yearling steer sell to $3000 to Springbank Angus, Katandra West VIC, where Henry Scott will continue to show him at Sydney Royal Show.
"A notable mention, on some pretty special USA semen due to land ready for May joining, JFK Top Gun sold for $150 a straw to Gus Harrington, K4 Simmentals, Bunnan NSW," Annie said.
"He is going to makes some pretty cool clubby steers with that semen and there'll be some impressive show steers when he gets them on the ground."
Additionally, two bulls were sold post-auction.
"There's only one fella left, which is an outstanding outcome. We are pretty grateful for how it's all panned out."
Annie said despite the challenging year, they did have a good spring which set them up well for the final sprint to the sale.
However, they did pour "a lot of hay" into the bulls during autumn and winter to help keep them moving along.
"Our buyers appreciate the type of cattle we are breeding and the maternal strength we have got in our herd.
"We have spent a tremendous amount of money over the years on females and flushing our own donors, it's nice to be rewarded for that as well. People appreciate that and the mumma cow does matter," Annie said.
With their eyes set on next year's sale, Annie said the have a draft of Angus Canadian blood calves, and a "really, really awesome" lineup of Simmental Angus and purebred Simmental, and black Simmental bulls by "some exciting sires".
"We are so impressed with how they've grown out for us. Alongside that, we have some really nice Angus calves by some top AI sires," Annie said.
"We are really excited to see how our next bulls shape up for next year's sale."
This year's sale was the final under two banners of BoonARKM and Limitless Cattle Co after the couple purchased the BoonARKM brand in 2025. Moving forward, all cattle will sell under the Limitless Cattle Co prefix.
