Former Ekka champion bull makes top price at Jen-Daview invitational sale
The 2026 invitational Jen-Daview Limousin and Angus sale saw the Coolabunia saleyards fully packed and then some, with bidding hot from the beginning, and the first lot becoming the top priced bull.
That was Jen-Daview Victor V21, sold for $34,000 to Shad Bailey, who operates as Shakriba Partnership at Glen Innes, NSW.
The price was a $4000 increase on last year's top bull price.
Jen-Daview Victor V21 was 26 months, weighed 974 kilograms, had P8 and rib fat scans of 11 and 7 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 150 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 5.5 per cent, a scrotal circumference of 40 centimetres, and morphology of 92pc.
Jen-Daview Victor V21 was also the Ekka's junior champion Limousin in 2025.
Mr Bailey runs a small cattle property - roughly 160ha - that focuses on breeding show steers, but said he wanted to maintain his breeding program to continue producing show steers.
He said he was drawn to Jen-Daview Victor V21's bloodline, and was looking for high quality genetics to put back into his own herd.
"I loved him last year, when he went on to be junior champion at Brisbane... if I could have bought him back then I would have... I have his three-quarter brother, and I know the bloodline very well - I'm trying to put the best genetics back into my herd, and the Jen-Daview program really suits what I do," he said.
Vendor Brent Evans said he would have retained Jen-Daview Victor V21 if he could have, but said his cows were too closely related.
"He's pretty special - he's been the standout since he was born... we nearly retained him, but he's very related to a lot of our black cows - otherwise we definitely would have kept him, but he's gone to a good home," Mr Evans said.
Mr Bailey plans to use Jen-Daview Victor V21 in his own herd and showcase his progeny in a few years.
"He'll come back home and go into my select cows, and his progeny will hopefully be shown, come 2028," Mr Bailey said.
The top priced Angus bull was also sold by Jen-Daview for $20,000 to Mitch Servin, who was a first-time purchaser at the sale.
Yallambee V1999, was 22 months old, weighed 898 kilograms, had P8 and rib fat scans of 14 and 10 millimetres respectively, an EMA of 133sq cm, IMF of 7.7pc, scrotal circumference of 39cm, and a morphology of 80pc.
Mr Servin runs a beef cattle operation on almost 3650ha at Boonarga, Theodore, and said Yallambee V1999's genetics - particularly the rib fat and P8 scans - were what made him an eye-catching bull.
"He'll go amongst our Angus cows... we're getting a pretty good run of Angus cows put together at the moment, so he'll go over them," Mr Servin said.
A total of 55 bulls were offered across nine vendors, and 50 sold, for a clearance rate of 90.9pc, a gross sale value of $563,000, and an average price of $11,260 - an increase on the 2025 average by $2191.
Separating breeds, 29 of the 30 Limousin bulls offered sold, for a clearance rate of 96.7pc, a gross of 347,000, and an average of 11,965.52.
In the Angus section, 21 of the 25 bulls offered were sold, for a clearance of 84pc, a gross of 216,000, and an average of $10,285.71.
GDL's southern stud stock manager Mark Duthie said the turnout for the event was exceptional, with 77 in-person bid cards registered.
He said the increase on last year's figures, alongside the sale matching what could be expected for both breeds in the broader market, would hopefully mean the event could continue to gather momentum moving forward.
Vendor results
Dangora Gully Livestock - 1/1, 100pc clearance, $10,000 top
Durkin Angus - 3/3, clearance 100pc, $9,000 average
Ellenden Limousin - 1/1, 100pc clearance, $6000 top
Jen-Daview Livestock - 24/26, 92.3pc clearance, $13,458.33 average
Kalara Livestock - 0/1
Linvale Angus - 0/3
MK Cattle - 1/1, 100pc clearance, $10,000 top
Mervale Limousin - 8/8, 100pc clearance, $11,750 average
Ruby Ridge Angus - 12/12, 100pc clearance, $7,750 average
- Selling agent: GDL, interfaced with StockLive
