Watasanta bull sells to $55,000, with 'extraordinary' prices for Santa heifers
Watasanta principal Neil Watson kicked off his annual bull sale at Tamworth on Wednesday, August 19, with a reminder the Santa Gertrudis female herd in Australia had exploded by more than 185 per cent in the past two years.
"The breed really is on the move," he said, launching the 18th annual Watasanta sale.
It kicked off bidding on a catalogue that sold 27 of 34 Santa Gertrudis bulls at gavel down, 10 black Santa bulls, and five pens of heifers for a sale aggregate of $921,000.
Across the main Santa Gertrudis catalogue, the average was $15,740.
The top-selling bull was lot 9, Watasanta Wedgewood 3340, which sold to $55,000 and went across the border to Bevan and Maree Pearce's Strathmore stud, Longreach, Qld.
A 26-month-old, heavy-built bull, Wedgewood was by Glenn Oaks Sterling S314 from Watasanta 2809, a first-calf heifer by Yarrawonga Iron Man.
He boasted high-yielding carcase power, with an eye muscle area (EMA) of +1.7 and a retail beef yield (RBY) of +0.5.
His mature cow weight (MCW) was efficient at +33, and he had a high-value terminal index of $29.
Bidding for him came from across Qld at Roma, Inverell, Quilpie, Jambin and Blackall before the hammer dropped at $55,000, exceeding last year's top price by $50,000.
Buyer Bevan Pearce, at home in Longreach and bidding online, bought the bull off videos and feedback he received from someone at the sale.
He said he didn't need a bull, but was always in the market for the right one.
"To me he looked to be a real sire prospect in the videos, just with the way he moved and the way he held himself," Mr Pearce said.
"He'll go into stud duties and be joined over a better line of cows, and hopefully breed some bulls himself for us."
Wedgewood was Mr Pearce's only bid on Wednesday, and his first ever Watasanta purchase. He said the bloodline wasn't one he had used at Strathmore before, which was the attraction.
"It gives us very good poll genetics on both the dam and sire, and on today's market there's a far greater demand for poll cattle than horn cattle," he said.
The Santa Gertrudis bull catalogue achieved an 80pc clearance rate, with four bulls sold post-auction.
It grossed $425,000 for the $15,740 average, which Mr Watson said was a "terrific average".
Other feature lots included lot 7, Watasanta Wonderboy, which sold to $28,000 when going to Queensland buyer Ian Walker, Strathmore, Blackall, and lot 5, Watasanta Winedot, which sold to $24,000 to David Porter, Mount Mee, Qld.
The top price across the following 10 Black Santa bulls was lot 43, X32 BSCC X-Copper at $14,000, going to Clint Kenny, Allora.
The black Santas achieved a perfect clearance and grossed $90,000, with a $9000 average.
With bull trade wrapped up, Watasanta achieved a perfect clearance of five pens of heifers with prices described as "extraordinary".
The first pen of eight Santa Gertrudis females, 22 to 24 months old and pregnancy-tested in-calf (PTIC) to Santa bulls, sold to $3800, totalling $30,400.
They went to agent Steve Goodhew, PJH Livestock, Roma, Qld, buying on account of Peter Seawright, Roma.
Across the remaining heifer pens, prices reached $3600 for seven Santa heifers, $3600 for eight black Santa heifers, $3000 for seven black Santa females, and $3400 for the final pen of seven black Santas.
Three of the pens, or a total of 22 heifers, went the way of determined Queensland buyer David Officer, Belli Park, Kenilworth.
Across 37 total females, the average was $3492 for a $129,200 gross.
"The genetics in the females were chased by people from all over, from local buyers to Warrnambool, Julia Creek and the Sunshine Coast," Mr Watson said.
"People wanted the females, and they made very good money."
The Watasanta sale was conducted by GDL Rural, with guest auctioneer Mark Duthie, and the online interface was provided by LiveStock.
