Latest charity bull continues stud's long-standing Telethon fundraising effort

While not reaching the heights of previous sales, there were still plenty of positives at the Munda Reds Droughtmaster stud's fifth annual on-property bull sale at 'Glencoe' Gingin last week, highlighted by a total clearance and a $19,000 donation to Telethon.

The charity bull is a feature of the Munda Reds bull sale where the Thompson family generously donates the sale proceeds from its first commercial bull offered to Telethon.

This year the charity bull sold for $19,000 to Rob Jowett, Warrawagine Cattle Company, Warrawagine and Wallal stations, Port Hedland, who has supported the fundraising initiative since its inception.

It takes the total amount raised for Telethon by the Thompsons to more than $100,000.

The Munda Reds sale is WA's second largest individual on-property bull sale with the Thompson family, stud managers Ben and Olivia Wright and greater Munda Reds team, presenting a top quality catalogue of 114 high performing Droughtmaster bulls.

Munda Reds has significantly invested in leading Australian Droughtmaster genetics since 2011 and undertakes extensive AI and ET programs each year.

And for the first time this year, all sale bulls were DNA tested homozygous double polled, reflecting the stud's sharp focus on polled genetics for a number of years.

The even quality catalogue comprised 52 Breedplan recorded stud bulls bred at 'Glencoe' and 62 commercial bulls bred at Mundabullangana station, Port Hedland, which were extensively measured and tested, including semen motility and morphology and tested free of Pompes disease.

The sale attracted another large crowd of buyers, industry representatives, sponsors and guests who enjoyed the generous hospitality from the Munda Reds team.

While some areas of the northern pastoral region are enjoying a favourable start to 2026, many others are still feeling the pinch of consecutive dry seasons, including a number of Munda Reds' previous buyers.

In response, the stud slightly reduced numbers from last year to match supply with demand, which caused a few pre-sale nerves among the team.

Pastoral buying support came from the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne and Goldfields, joining the Mid-West, Peel, local and some Queensland interests.

While there was still plenty of bidding competition on select lots, a swath of bulls sold at value, giving buyers of all budgets an opportunity to source quality Droughtmaster bulls and perhaps stock up on some extras while they were at it.

This resulted in a number of solid accounts being put together, but more importantly helped record a total clearance of the large team.

The Nutrien Livestock selling team, led by interstate guest auctioneers Dane Pearce and Trent McKinlay, Nutrien Ag Solutions stud stock, Rockhampton, Queensland, sold all 114 bulls to gross $718,500 at an overall average of $6303.

The average was down $742 compared to last year where all 133 bulls sold at auction for an overall average of $7045.

In the breakdown, 52 Munda Reds stud bulls sold at auction for an average of $7481, down $1056 on last year's average of $8537 from 54 bulls sold.

The line-up of 62 commercial bulls averaged $5315, back $710 compared to last year where 79 bulls sold for an average of $6025.

Mr McKinlay said the Munda team presented a very good quality line of bulls which were prepared to suit WA conditions.

"It was a very even and consistent line of bulls from start to finish, which were presented in very good condition with good temperaments," Mr McKinlay said.

"They are fertile, young bulls ready to go and do a job for the stud's northern buyers.

"For the first time the stud also presented a 100pc polled gene tested PP team, as a result of WA buyers demanding this and I think this would be the first time for any single vendor sale in Australia.

"Overall it was a very successful sale for the stud given the tough seasonal conditions being experienced throughout the pastoral areas.

"We are very happy to achieve a total clearance, that is what you aim for in any sale.

"The prices however were back on last year, but this meant it provided a good opportunity for buyers to purchase good quality bulls at their budgets."

History repeated itself, with last year's $24,000 top-priced bull buyer Paul Laycock, High Country Droughtmaster stud, Toogoolawah, Queensland, returning to pay the same price tag and top the sale for Munda Jumpstart 246277 in lot 15.

Jumpstart lived up to the big raps on him, coming into the sale from the Munda Reds sire paddock and described as the best bull in the catalogue which it featured on the front cover of.

The younger June 1, 2024-born bull was bred in the purple by proven sire SC Glencoe 175518 and out of a daughter of influential sire Kapalee Game Changer, Munda Belle 183152.

The outstanding, soft and deep red coated bull matched its appealing show window with an excellent data set.

The 684kg bull recorded the equal highest average daily weight gain (ADG) of 1.2kg and scanned 10cm P8 fat, 9mm rib fat, 119cm2 eye muscle area (EMA), 5.3pc intramuscular fat (IMF) and 80pc morphology.

It ranked in the breed's top 1-5pc for gestation length (GL), top 5pc 400-day weight (DW), top 5-10pc 200 and 600-DW and top 10pc carcase weight (CW).

The Laycocks later purchased a travel companion for Jumpstart, a Munda 224446 (by Glenavon Quirky) son.

Mr Laycock said Jumpstart had all the attributes and showed great consistency throughout.

"He has really good conformation, length and terrific volume for a young bull," Mr Laycock said.

"A top young bull in the making, who I think will grow out extremely well with great potential as a top sire."

Mr Laycock couldn't have been happier to secure the second bull for $5000.

"I think we stole him," he said.

"He is a bull with great structure, volume and capacity.

"To me he was a standout bull at the end of the stud section.

"We will use both bulls over stud and commercial Droughtmaster females."

Mr Laycock likes buying from Munda Reds because the stud focuses heavily on morphology testing and the bulls aren't overfed.

"We have had a 100pc success rate with all the bulls we have purchased from Munda in the past four years in terms of fertility, do-ability and consistency of the calves," he said.

"They have done the job for us and adapted really well to our country and conditions.

"I take my hat off to Mike and the Munda team to meet the market today with a smile on their faces.

"They provide good cattle and their buyers keep coming back and buying large teams every year, which must mean the bulls are doing the job for them.

"The Munda team are great people to deal with."

The Laycocks run 400 to 500 Droughtmaster stud breeders and 400-500 commercial Droughtmaster females, the majority of which are being used as recipients in an embryo transfer program.

Mr Laycock said their first large ET program they undertook last year was very successful.

"We ended up with about 200 calves and they are just about ready to wean," he said.

"We are currently planning this year's ET-program which will be later than normal as we have pushed it back due to the season."

Mr Jowett has strongly supported the Munda Reds program for many years, first buying bulls privately at Munda station prior to the stud holding its annual bull sale.

Like previous sales, Mr Jowett and the Warrawagine Cattle Company trading name was among the volume buyers and regularly featured at the top-end of the market with his selections.

He finished with a team of 17 bulls for an average of $9618, including 14 stud bulls averaging $9357, with seven bulls selling from $10,000 to $13,000 and three commercial bulls averaging $10,833.

But it was one of these commercial bulls that was most significant for Mr Jowett, with his best bid of the day saved for the Telethon charity bull which he purchased for the fifth consecutive year for the $19,000 second top price.

The long, deep bodied and soft loose skinned bull was sired by SC Deep Ocean and tipped the scales at 668kg.

It scanned 10mm P8 fat, 9mm rib fat, 120cm2 eye muscle area (EMA), 4.9pc intramuscular fat (IMF), 39cm scrotal (SC) with 80pc semen morphology.

Mr Jowett said it's a very important charity and he is proud to continue supporting the Telethon fundraiser.

"I admire what the Thompsons do, donating all the proceeds from the bull they put up each year," he said.

"My job is to help make sure the bull gets real value which I was happy to do again today."

Mr Jowett's next highest purchase of $13,000 was paid on two occasions.

He first paid it for Munda Jail Break 246600 in lot 16.

The powerful stylish bull was a late May 2024 born son of SC Glencoe 175318 and a Garthowen Velocity daughter, Munda Malibu Barbie 204096.

The 658kg bull recorded an average daily weight gain of 1.1kg and scanned 9mm fats, 123cm2 EMA, 5.2pc IMF and 36cm SC.

The average birthweight bull was further complemented with top figures ranking the top 10-15pc gestation length (GL) and 600-DW, top 5-10pc 200 and 400-DW, top 105pc mature cow weight (MCW) and top 5pc CW and scrotal.

Mr Jowett next paid $13,000 for another SC Glencoe 175318 son in lot 20.

The 750kg mid-May 2024 born bull with 1.1kg ADG was out of Munda Calypso 14346 and scanned 9mm fats, 120cm2 EMA, 6.5pc IMF and 37cm SC.

Like its half brothers already mentioned, its figures stacked up well in the top 10-15pc for GL, top 1-5pc 200-DW, top 5-10pc 400-DW and MCW, top 10-15pc 600-DW and top 15pc CW.

Mr Jowett said they were selecting strongly for morphology and conformation.

"We didn't have to select for PP bulls this year because they were all PP bulls," he said.

"We have a big focus on fertility through high morphology with most of our bulls testing 80pc or more which is very good.

"We also looked at the usual traits, conformation, terrific temperament which most of the bulls have and there is quite a lot of data available now with Breedplan and the raw figures."

Mr Jowett said the season was OK at Wallal on the coast, but Warrawagine further inland is "ordinary".

"We just haven't had the rain in any big doses, while plenty went past, we never had the effects of a decent cyclone," he said.

"We have been getting a lot of thunderstorms which is good but they are usually in pockets on the property."

After recovering from a drought about nine years ago, Mr Jowett said they purchased some pretty big drafts of Droughtmaster heifers from Munda which became the nucleus of their new herd.

"Interestingly, Munda have purchased a whole lot of Droughtmaster heifers from us this year after running the station numbers down because of the seasons," he said.

"They know the breeding of our cattle, which is pretty special."

Warrawagine and Wallal stations are currently running up to 15,000 Droughtmaster breeders.

While the season isn't too favourable at Warrawagine this year, the first of 10 currently operational irrigation pivots first installed at Wallal station 10 years ago accessing the Canning Basin aquifer, produces thousands of square hay bales of perennial Rhodes grass which are stored at Warrawagine.

Mr Jowett described the pivots as a game changer for dry seasons, marketing flexibility and management.

"We have almost 2000 head on the homestead pivots and we just got a contract for the end of April for micky bulls going to Indonesia," he said.

"We don't have to muster all over Warrawagine to find them, they're right there.

"This enables us to meet markets with the agents and buyers."

The $17,000 third top-priced bull, Munda Jokers Grin 246045, was purchased by Russell and Wendy Clarke, Bernburra Droughtmaster stud, Serpentine.

The classy lighter coated bull was another SC Glencoe 175318 son and out of a High Country First Rate daughter, Munda Annabella 203906.

The low birthweight bull (top 5pc) recorded above average growth data and top 5pc gestation length giving flexibility for heifer joinings.

But it was the bull's raw data that stood out with the mid-May 2024 born bull the second heaviest bull in the sale team at 796kg and second highest weight gain at 1.16kg ADG and 11mm P8 fat, 10mm rib fat, 122cm2 EMA and 5.4pc IMF.

Mr Clarke said he would prefer a bit darker coat but the bull's other physical attributes and performance, made up for it.

"He is a nice bull by the same sire as the top-priced bull, long and deep, 91pc morphology and is almost the heaviest bull here," he said.

Jokers Grin is the Russell's fourth Munda sire they have purchased and an outcross bloodline for their stud which will go straight to work when it arrives at its new home.

Another strong supporter and the sale's volume buyer, Gogo station managers Chris and Sally Towne, Fitzroy Crossing, collected a team of 20 bulls including seven stud bulls and 13 commercial bulls paying to $7000 on three occasions and an overall average of $5075.

Mr Towne said it was the station's fourth year buying from the stud and they were looking for bulls with good temperaments, good sheaths and good frames.

"We like buying from Munda as the bulls have proven themselves every year for us and they always put a large number of quality bulls to choose from," Mr Towne said.

Currently the station is running 20,000 Droughtmaster-Brahman cross breeders and it sells the majority of its calves to the live export market.

"They go out of Broome or Darwin on the boats to either Indonesia or Malaysia," Mr Towne said.

The station introduced Droughtmaster bulls to the program eight to nine years ago so it could add some flexibility in terms of marketing its calves.

"While the majority of our calves go live export, we have sold some to the feedlotters in the past," he said.

"By having the Droughtmaster in the herd it just keeps our options open when it comes to marketing the calves."

Nutrien Livestock pastoral agent, Daniel Wood, was active, with return buying orders which included the next highest volume account of 15 bulls at good value on behalf of Bonney Downs Pastoral Company, Nullagine (south of Marble Bar) and six bulls also at value for Smoothy Cattle Company, Marble Bar.

Dean Ryan, Minnie Creek station, Carnarvon, had the next highest account of 10 commercial bulls costing to a top of $7500 and an average of $5500.

Mr Ryan skipped the past couple of years due to the season but was back this year to top up his bull numbers.

"I was certainly a bit price sensitive today when it came to buying due to the season and economic conditions, but I was still looking for good bulls," Mr Ryan said.

"We wanted flat back (no humps) bulls as we put all our calves through the feedlot, but they also had to have tight sheaths and good feet to be able to walk."

Mr Ryan said the last good season they had was in 2022 and their number of Santa Gertrudis-Droughtmaster cross breeders were down on the station, but they had been able to maintain their breeding herd by running the breeders on both owned and leased/agistment properties in the south.

"We have destocked numbers on the station by about 50pc over the past three and half years of drought and we are looking to take the breeders back up there once the conditions improve," he said.

"At the moment 50pc of the station is looking okay after getting between 50-80 millimetres of rain out of cyclone Narelle when it went through in March, while the balance is still very dry after only receiving 3-30mm."

While the past couple of seasons have been tough, Mr Ryan said this wasn't the biggest threat to his business, nor were current diesel prices.

"The greatest threat to our business is the government and the red tape - we can survive the rest and make it work," Mr Ryan said.

Other bigger multiple bull accounts included return buyers Ethel Creek station, Newman, with six bulls for a $6333 average and $8000 top price for a Aldinga Glove son, while Nutrien Livestock pastoral agent, Leon Goad, purchased seven bulls, five going to Hill Springs station, Carnarvon and two bulls for Bullara station, Exmouth.

Trevor Schutz, Banksia Park Farming, Laverton Downs station, Laverton, secured four bulls for an average of $5857 and a $8000 top price for a SC Glencoe son.

He has been buying from Munda since its first sale and currently runs 800 Santa Gertrudis-Droughtmaster cross breeders on the station.

"We have built our breeding numbers back over the past couple of years on the back of improved seasons," Mr Schutz said.

"It is looking really good at the moment on the station with good green feed around.

"Since February we have had 150mm which has been great.

"Last year was just an average season but 2024 was brilliant but before that we had six years of drought and we got down to 250 breeders."