'Real Deal' bull leads the way for stud's first sale in the South West
Quality was evident throughout the catalogue at the Arkle Angus bull sale held last week at the Cowan family's Rosa Brook property, marking the stud's first sale in the South West.
The stud presented an exceptional line-up of 34 Angus sires, which attracted a strong buying gallery including plenty of new faces from the local South West region, Wheatbelt, South Coast, and Goldfields-Esperance regions, who showed up eager to secure the Arkle Angus genetics.
Bulls on offer were drawn from the Arkle Angus stud's embryo transfer program, which combines maternal pedigrees with proven sire lines, ensuring the draft was well suited to commercial paddock conditions.
Sale summary
- (Under the hammer results)
- Offered: 34
- Sold: 34
- Top: $20,500
- Gross: $347,000
- Average: $10,206
Buyers made the most of Arkle Angus being the only stud in WA offering Milwallah Jaal genetics, adding further appeal to the catalogue.
The line-up was a testament to the Cowan's ongoing commitment to the Angus breed, beef industry and progression of their stud and they were rewarded when the 34 paddock-run, ready to work bulls sold to a 100 per cent clearance, and recorded an average of $10,206.
Nutrien Livestock, Manjimup representative, Brett Chatley, said it was an excellent result.
"The bulls presented exceptionally well coming out of Esperance country and being grassfed only," Mr Chatley said.
"It was pleasing to see a lot of new buyers which is great, as well as returning stud clients.
"It was a great result for it being the stud's first sale in the South West.
"The clients who have bought bulls will be very impressed with how they grow out and the genetics they have behind them.
"Well done to the Cowan family."
Attracting plenty of interest was a bull from lot eight, Arkle Real Deal V142.
After plenty of bids flew around the ring, the bull was finally knocked down to Steve Neville, and his daughter Megan McCallum, Old Bambun Grazing, Gingin, who paid the sale's top price of $20,500.
The 740kg Alpine Real Deal R163 son is a June 2024-drop calf out of Arkle T157 with Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) of +3.8 calving ease direct (DIR), -0.9 calving ease daughters (DTRS), -5.2 gestation length (GL), +3.9 birthweight (BWT), +59, +106 and +132 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +122 mature cow weight (MCW), +0.61 mature body condition (MBC), +9.3 mature cow height (MCH), +17 for milk, +3.4 scrotal size (SS), -5.8 days to calving (DTC), +65 carcase weight (CWT), +9.0 eye muscle area (EMA), +2.6 and +3.4 for rib and rump fats, -6.0 retail beef yield (RBY), +3.0 intramuscular fat (IMF), +0.84 net feed intake (NFI-F), +41 docility (DOC), +0.64 claw set (CLAW), +0.78 foot angle (ANGLE), and +1.00 leg angle (LEG).
With these figures it ranks in the top 1pc for MBC, top 3pc for DOC, top 6pc for rump fat, top 8pc for rib fat, top 12pc for foot angle, top 14pc for SS and claw set, top 17pc 400-day weight and top 20pc 200-day weight.
The Gingin producers bought a second bull for $9000, which was also an Alpine Real Deal R163 son, Arkle Real Deal V46.
The sire is a May 2024-drop son out of Arkle R14.
It's the third year Old Bambun Grazing has been buying from the Arkle stud and Ms McCallum said on behalf of her and her father, the bulls are very hard-working and have plenty of longevity.
"The bulls we purchased have got really strong genetics on both the female and male side," Ms McCallum said.
"We are happy with the progeny and how the bulls perform, they are proving themselves and we haven't had any issues with them at all.
"We always prefer to buy bulls that are out of a paddock fed situation, it's a natural growth progression.
"The bulls we've got in the past from Arkle have come from Bedford Harbour and have excelled and kept growing at a good, even, consistent rate and develop as they should which is great and a benefit to us.
"We've retained all the Arkle bulls we've purchased and they are still working, so they are proving to have longevity in our conditions, and their feet are exceptional."
Ms McCallum said growth was a big selection factor.
"Lot eight's numbers we thought were exceptional and he is versatile enough for us to use on younger cows and older cows because he's growthy enough to put weight on low birthweight animals," she said.
"Across the board with the bull's figures they have good sets across the board, they have good milk, growth, are positive for fats and are solid all-rounders."
Old Bambun Grazing typically tries to sell grass-finished products.
"We have supplied feedlots as well aand have to be versatile enough to sell to both markets," Ms McCallum said.
This season they plan to join just over 950 Angus breeders.
"The 'T' bulls from Arkle we've joined in the past resulted in three of 150 animals not getting in calf, so they are proven to us to be highly fertile and the progeny is great, so we are really happy with them," Ms McCallum said.
It was the last bull to enter the ring on sale day that achieved the sale's second top price of $19,000.
Paying the sum was Lance Ockwell, Camelarup Grazing, Manjimup, for Arkle Ricky V270, a July 2024-drop son of Millah Murrah Ricky R45 and Arkle Lowan S58.
It has EBVs of -3.8 DIR, +5.8 DTRS, -1.9 GL, +4.4 BWT, +46, +89 and +103 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +101 MCW, +0.47 MBC, +8.5 MCH, +9 for milk, -0.5 SS, -3.6 DTC, +64 CWT, +10.7 EMA, +6.0 and +6.4 for rib and rump fats, +0.3 RBY, +2.9 IMF, +29 DOC, +0.68 CLAW, +0.78 ANGLE, and +0.86 LEG.
With these figures, it ranks in the top 1pc for rib and rump fats, top 9pc for MBC, top 10pc for LEG, top 11pc for EMA, top 12pc for ANGLE, and top 19pc for CLAW.
Mr Ockwell purchased a second bull, Arkle Special V403 for $15,000.
The April 2024-drop Alpine 38 Special S021 son is out of Cherlyton P33 and ranks in the top 1pc for DTRS (+10.8), top 5pc for LEG (+0.80) and top 6pc for ANGLE (+0.72).
Mr Ockwell has been an Arkle client for many years.
"I have had the Klooney bloodline before and I was trying to replicate that with Ricky," Mr Ockwell said.
Ricky V270 has Millah Murrah Klooney K42 genetics on its dam's side.
"I mainly select bulls visually, looking at good overall conformation, balance and feet, as well as figures such as birthweight, and how the bull is put together overall," he said.
Mr Ockwell runs a few hundred Angus breeders that calve in April.
"We wean in December to produce calves for feedlot entry," he said.
Darlow Ag Company, Esperance, bought the $16,000 third top-priced bull, Arkle 38 Special.
The Alpine 38 Special S021 son is a May 2024-drop calf out of Arkle Flower R64 that ranks in the top 1pc for DTRS (+10.3), CLAW (+0.32), ANGLE (+0.58), top 2pc for rib fat (+3.9), top 3pc for DIR (+9.3), BWT (+0.3), and LEG (+0.76), top 5pc for SS (+4.1), top 7pc for GL (-8.3), and top 9pc for IMF (+4.6).
The Esperance account rounded out its purchases with lot 16 bull, Arkle Real Deal V117, for $13,000.
The June 2024-drop Alpine Real Deal R163 son is out of Arkle T122 and ranks in the top 6pc for rump fat (+3.6), top 14pc for ANGLE (+0.80), top 15pc for 200-day weight (+61), and top 17pc for NFI-F (-0.11).
Two bidders successfully secured teams of three bulls each.
Spring Creek Grazing, Cranbrook, paid an average of $10,833 and a high of $13,500.
The $13,500 lot 22 sire, Arkle Paratrooper V404, is an April 2024-drop son of Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 and Cherylton Grace N188.
It ranks in the top 9pc for ANGLE (+0.76), top 12pc for DOC (+33), top 13pc for CWT (+84), top 14pc for DTC (-6.6), and top 16pc RBY (+1.0)
The remaining volume buyer was G Tassos & Co, Bridgetown, which paid a high of $8500 and a $6500 average.
The lot 18 bull, Arkle 38 Special V406 is an April 2024-drop Alpine 38 Special S021 son out of Cherylton P33.
Matt Tassos said it was his first time buying from the stud.
"Temperament was the key for us, they were some of the quietest bulls I've ever seen, and that's a big part of our program," Mr Tassos said.
"We select heavily on visual appraisal and we were looking for soft bulls with good conformation and good feet.
"The grassfed side of it was good, we could see more of a natural bull which is good.
"I thought they did an outstanding job at presenting the bulls and I can't believe how quiet they were."
The Tassos family runs a 420-head Angus breeding herd.
