Agent gets top-price bull at Kingaroy Simmental sale for his family's stud
An agent has bought the top-price bull at the inaugural Kingaroy Simmental, Fleckvieh and Simbrah bull and female sale for his family's own stud herd.
More than 100 people packed the stands at the Coolabunia saleyards on Saturday, August 22, including buyers from around the Burnett and south east, and into NSW.
Bidding on the first few lots was tentative, but by lot 15, four bulls had sold for $10,000 or more.
All told, 25 of 39 bulls sold through the ring for a 64.1 per cent clearance, and an average of $7600, while 17 of 31 stud females sold through the ring for a 54.8pc clearance and an average of $3176.
Country Style Simmental Stud principals Adam Sciberras and Lillian Oke of Eumungerie, NSW, sold Country Style Vegas Baby to Matt Pearce and Kate Parker, Jamac Simmentals, Biggenden, for the top price of $22,000.
See who caught up at the Coolabunia saleyards
Pictures by Zac Braxton-Smith
He was 25 months old and weighed 1030 kilograms, with an eye muscle area of 142 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 5.4pc, and P8 and rib fat measurements of 11 and 9 millimetres.
Mr Pearce, who won the ALPA national young auctioneers competition in 2025, said he couldn't find a fault in Country Style Vegas Baby.
"We have been looking for a sire for a long time; we saw this bull at the Sydney Royal, and thought he looked pretty good," Mr Pearce said.
"He will go over our stud and commercial females, but I couldn't give you a joining window - we'll need to find the time.
"(It's) fair to say we are looking to grow our numbers."
The top bull was the last calf by Barana Rufus, a sire bred by Peter Cook of Coolah, NSW, Ms Oke said.
"Vegas Baby is out of a home-bred cow, Country Style Rambi, who has performed well over the years," she said.
"One of his biggest achievements was winning reserve junior champion Simmental bull at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Show.
"We got semen out of him, bred him, and we thought it was about time we shared the genetics, but it will be pretty hard to say goodbye."
GK Livestock principal Brooke Iseppi and family, Dalby, sold the top-price female, GK Western Masterpiece, to KBV Simmental Stud principals Marty Rowlands and Stephen Lean, Djuan, for $8500.
She was a 10-month-old unjoined heifer, by Trinity Vale Radar Love and out of GK Precious Masterpiece.
Ms Iseppi said GK Western Masterpiece was the first Simmental she had sold at auction.
"Her half-sister was a junior champion at the Ekka, but she has only been shown once, at Texas," she said.
"She is as sweet as they come."
The Masterpiece dam line was quality, Mr Rowlands said, and he was always looking to add to his cow lines.
"The other side of it is, it's great to see young people like Brooke doing well in agriculture," he said.
"(GK Western Masterpiece) is only young; it will take some time to work out how she fits into our program."
John Bourke and family, Mundubbera, bought the largest number of lots through the ring, with six bulls for an average price of $6167.
Buyers were willing to pay a premium for quality bulls and females, Aussie Land and Livestock agent Chris Crouch said.
"There was plenty of interest from around the south east, and into northern NSW," Mr Crouch said. "We also saw bidders who would usually go for other breeds buy Simmentals."
About 35 commercial females also sold at auction for an average price of more than $1500 a head.
- Selling agents: Aussie Land and Livestock.
