Red Angus team turns around 2025 results with much stronger values this time

The 38th annual Willandra Simmental, Red Angus and Angus bull sale on-property at Williams will be one to remember for the Cowcher family.

It was among their strongest results in their almost four-decade history, with return and new buying support from throughout the State delivering a memorable result.

The significantly greater number of bulls sold at auction from a marginally increased catalogue didn't stop all sale value indicators from showing strong improvements.

The Willandra sale is the longest running Simmental bull sale in Australia and WA's longest consecutive onfarm bull sale.

The Cowcher family presented a slightly larger sale team of 71 quality rising two-year-old bulls consisting of 31 traditional Simmental bulls, 28 Red Angus bulls and the third year offering of 12 black Angus bulls from its young but fast-improving Angus breeding program.

The mild weather conditions were a welcome change from the traditional summer conditions and a big crowd of buyers, agents, sponsors, industry representatives and supporters again turned out to enjoy inspecting the bulls on offer and the delicious hospitality from the Cowcher family and the wider Willandra team of helpers.

Buyers descended from throughout the agricultural regions, some travelling from as far as the northern and eastern regions, Esperance and South Coast and interstate, along with local and South West competition, either at the sale or through the strong Nutrien Livestock and Elders network representation.

The sale was also on AuctionsPlus which attracted 2864 online catalogue views and a total of 34 registered bidders and 43 viewers logged in from throughout the country.

However despite greater online interest this year, online bidding was limited to two active bidders, with one Peel region buyer purchasing a Red Angus bull.

At the completion, Nutrien Livestock in conjunction with Elders, sold 67 bulls at auction (94 per cent) for an overall average of $8545 under the gavel control of Nutrien Livestock auctioneer, Chris Waddingham.

Compared to last year's sale, collectively there were three additional bulls offered in the catalogue with 13 more bulls sold at auction, improving the clearance rate by 15 percentage points and the overall average by $1175.

Last year, overall 54 of 68 Simmental, Red Angus and Angus bulls (79pc) sold at auction for an average of $7370.

In the breed breakdown, the same amount of Simmental bulls sold at auction but at an increased clearance rate of 90pc with 28 of 31 Simmental bulls selling at auction for an improved average of $8464, up $821 on last year's sale where 28 of 34 bulls (82pc) sold for a $7643 average.

The Red Angus team turned around last year's moderate sale with strongly improved results.

All bar one of the 28 Red Angus bulls (96pc clearance) sold at auction, taking out the $18,000 top-priced bull honours and the breed average stakes at $9148, to finish up $1260 on average and 28 clearance points compared to last year where 17 of 25 bulls (68pc) sold to average $7882.

The Angus team continues to record year-on-year gains with another complete clearance of a slightly increased catalogue of 12 bulls for an average of $7375.

This marked the biggest improvement in average among the three breeds, up $1819 on last year where all nine Angus bulls sold at auction for an average of $5556.

Simmental

With buyers completing inspections before enjoying a delicious lunch, they assembled around the sale ring with Mr Waddingham commencing proceedings on the quality team of 31 traditional Simmental bulls.

The opening run of polled and polled/horn bulls got the sale off to a solid start, averaging $11,000 and selling to $14,000 for the first five bulls.

But it was a horned bull next into the ring that bucked modern day trends when Willandra Vasse V028 was knocked down for the $15,000 top Simmental bull price to return interstate stud buyer Greg Templeton, Templeton Simmental stud, Nar Nar Goon, Victoria.

The powerful soft sire was an early April 2024-born son of Naracoopa Samuel S015 and a Willandra Kentucky daughter Willandra Crystal.

It tipped the scales at 922kg and matched its impressive physique with an explosive spread of Breedplan performance including trait leading or top 1pc for all weight intervals, mature cow weight (MCW), carcase weight (CWT), scrotal (SC) and northern terminal index (NTI), along with top 5-10pc vealer terminal index (VTI), top 20pc intramuscular fat (IMF) with positive fats.

Later in the sale the Templetons purchased another horned bull in lot 33 for $11,000 containing a son of Willandra Spartacus also with a strong dataset.

The Templetons run the Mount Templeton traditional Simmental stud with a 250-head February-March calving traditional Simmental commercial breeding herd at the family's property south east of Melbourne in Gippsland.

The two new sire additions are the fifth and sixth bulls the Templetons have purchased from Willandra and Mr Templeton said he was looking for high EBV bulls with muscling and type.

"We find the horned cattle are superior cattle and we get heavier weaning weights," Mr Templeton said.

"The majority of the calves go direct to processing at 10 months of age with last year's drop averaging 225kg dressed weight."

The $14,000 second top-price Simmental bull was knocked down to G & JM Perella, Northcliffe.

Willandra Veblen V023 was the second bull into the salering and like Vasse, matched an impressive shop window with some off the charts Breedplan performance.

The early April 2024 born polled/horn bull was sired by Nexgen Tamworth and out of a Willandra Quentin daughter, Willandra Diana T49.

The 862kg bull ranked as trait leader or top one per cent for 400 and 600-day weight (DW), MCW, CWT, retail beef yield (RBY), domestic terminal index (DTI) and NTI, while ranking in the top 1-5pc for 200-DW, SC, export maternal index (EMI) and VTI.

The next highest Simmental price of $12,000 was paid by a few buyers.

This included the Williams Rural Supplies sponsored volume buyer Welldon Beef, Williams, which finished with a team of seven Simmental bulls and an Angus bull for an average of $7250.

The long-time Willandra buyers of more than 20 years paid their $12,000 top price for a 876kg horned Simmental bull Willandra Vermont V115 by Naracoopa Samuel S015.

Return buyers Preston Downs, Esperance, built a team of four Simmental bulls for an average of $9500 and paid their $12,000 top price for the third bull offered Willandra Voltage V012, a 862kg polled/horn bull also by Naracoopa Samuel S015.

B & E Smith, Busselton with Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River agent, Jock Embry, secured a single Simmental sire for $12,000 in lot 19 containing a 808kg double polled mid-April 2024 born son of Tullamore Park Rocket.

Fifth year Willandra buyer Buckenara Pastoral Company, Bremer Bay, through their livestock agent Harry Carroll, Nutrien Livestock, Mt Barker, secured three Simmental bulls costing an average of $7333.

Other multiple Simmental bull buyers included long-time buyers of about 30 years, the James family, Salmon Valley, Hyden, with two Simmental bulls costing to $11,000 for a Barana Stillman polled/horn son and later two Red Angus bulls paying to $10,000 for a 772kg early May 2024 born son of Willandra Qualify Q39 (by Wyndarra Stew M36) to average $9250 over their four bulls.

Richard Shuard, Deeside Muirs, Perup, with Cameron Harris, Elders Manjimup, paid to $9000 for two Simmental bulls and an Angus bull and MC & CJ Atkinson, Boddington/Jarrahdale, also purchased two Simmental bulls paying to an $8000 top price.

Red Angus

Attention swung to the team of 28 Red Angus bulls with the sleek third Red Angus bull into the sale ring, Willandra Villain V79, attracting plenty of admirers and hopeful new owners, before it took out the top-priced honours when it was knocked down for $18,000 to Kent Muir, Wyndarra Red Angus stud, Perup.

The quality long and deep bodied, soft muscled bull tipped the scales at 834kg and rounded out the complete package with trait leading or top 1pc growth figures for all weight intervals along with top 1-5pc carcase weight, top 35pc EMA, top 15pc northern steer index (NSI) and top 25pc vealer steer index (VSI).

Villain was born mid-April 2024, sired by a Wyndarra Stew M36 son Willandra Qualify Q39 and out of a Willandra Kiev daughter Willandra Sunset P116.

Mr Muir said Villain was their type of bull and would go into stud duties.

"We don't mind a bit of birthweight and like a sizeable cow," Mr Muir said.

"He's throwing his grandsire Stew's type which we like and he is still a strong outcross for us."

The $17,000 second top price Red Angus bull went to by return buyer Michael Sawyer, Maranalgo station, Harding Sawyer Farm Group, Paynes Find/Dalwallinu, for one of three Red Angus bulls which averaged $10,333.

Their top bid went to Willandra Venice V90 in lot 44, a mid April 2024 born bull sired by Kingslane Robinson R25 and out of a Willandra Nifty daughter Willandra Urchin R4.

The high-indexing, stylish bull tipped the scales at 784kg and recorded a solid dataset well above average across most traits and ranked in the top 1-5pc supermarket index (SI), top 10-15pc NSI and CWT, top 15pc VSI, top 5-10pc 400-DW, top 10pc milk and top 15-20pc EMA.

Another strong supporter of the Willandra Red Angus cattle McVay Pastoral, Esperance, also finished with a team of three Red Angus bulls at a healthy average of $10,500.

Included in the McVay Pastoral account was the next highest priced Red Angus bull of $13,000 in lot 38 Willandra Velvet V1.

The late March 2024 born bull was sired by a Willandra Memphis son, Willandra Quest Q27 and out of a Willandra Highmark daughter Willandra Unison L11.

For a low birthweight bull (top 20-25pc), it still recorded solid Breedplan performance ranking in the top 15-20pc for EMA, top 20-25pc CWT, top 25pc SI and top 30pc NSI and milk.

Mr Harris, representing Knipe Farming Co, Spencers Brook/Bridgetown, provided strong competition at the top of the market and finished with two bulls averaging $11,000 with their $12,000 top price paid for a 802kg Willandra Qualify Q39 son.

Other multiple Red Angus bull buyers included Charla Downs, Waroona, with three bulls averaging $9333 and paying to a $10,000 top price twice, while Oceanview Corp Pty Ltd, Coolup and Bannister Springs Pastoral Company, Bannister, secured two Red Angus bulls each at good value.

Angus

The team of 12 Angus bulls rounded out proceedings in style with their evenness highlighted through the breed's $9000 top price being paid on three occasions.

Lewis Payne, Nutrien Livestock, Williams, representing a couple of local orders, purchased three Angus bulls and paid $9000 twice, first for the team leader, a low birthweight (top 22pc) and calving ease (top 14-28pc) son of Diamond One Capitalist R201 which weighed 846kg followed by a 830kg calving ease (top 10-25pc) bull sired by Koojan Hills Traction P40 with top 3pc milk and top 5pc docility.

Deeside Muirs was the other buyer to pay $9000 for an Angus bull, taking a liking to a Diamond One Capitalist R201 sired bull out of a Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 daughter Willandra Vandessa T5 which balanced calving ease (top 5pc CE Dtrs) and solid growth (top 23-36pc for all weight intervals).

Other Angus bull buyers included Charles Hull Contracting, Waroona, who bid to a top of $8000 for one of two bulls, a high indexing (top 7-20pc), strong growth (top 22-20pc) son also by Capitalist R201 which also ranked top 1pc EMA, top 15pc RBY and top 16pc CWT.

Murdoch University and AJ Batt & Co, Boddington, also collected two Angus bulls each at good value.