Heavy interstate interest has Minnamurra Speckle Park bulls head across Australia

Three Minnamurra Speckle Park bulls are bound from Coolah to Boulia in far western Queensland after an interstate bidder paid the top price at the stud's 11th annual sale on Friday, September 4.

Grant Wells, Elrose Station, Boulia, secured Minnamurra Vatican V57 for the sale top of $15,000 before adding Minnamurra Venetian V61 for $6000 and Minnamurra Venice V17 for $6000.

His three bulls averaged $9000, with the bulls destined for about 150 Charolais females.

At the conclusion of the sale, 13 of the 25 bulls offered had sold to a top of $15,000 and average of $7770, with more selling shortly after the auction at Mount Mill, Coolah.

Sale-topper Vatican V57 was a September 2024-drop son of Te Mooi Rainmaker R3 from Minnamurra 300X Teeka T231.

The 756-kilogram bull had a 39 centimetre scrotal circumference and scanned 118 square cm for eye muscle area, 11 millimetres for rump fat, 9mm at the rib and 6.9pc intramuscular fat.

Mr Wells said Vatican had been his pick from the outset.

"Absolutely everything," he said when asked what had attracted him to the bull.

"He was my pick from the get-go."

Mr Wells said advice from his mentor, David Bonfield, had stayed with him when assessing bulls.

"If you can look at a bull and you can see a bull in every corner, you're on the money," he said.

"To me, there's a bull in every corner there and all his percentiles speak for themselves."

Mr Wells and his partner, Bec Britton, had studied the catalogue before the sale and initially shortlisted three bulls.

After talking with Minnamurra Speckle Park manager Dennis Power and inspecting the draft, Mr Wells added Venetian V61 for $6000.

The Te Mooi Rainmaker R3 son weighed 700kg, had a 40cm scrotal circumference and scanned 116sq cm for EMA and 7.1pc IMF.

Mr Wells completed his draft with Venice V17 for $6000.

"Clean coat. Clean coat, that's the main thing," he said.

Venice V17 was a Te Mooi Rome R9 son weighing 670kg, with a 36cm scrotal circumference, 112sqcm EMA and 6pc IMF.

The second-highest price was $13,000 for Minnamurra Voyager V44, bought by Yellowie Props, Burra, SA.

Voyager V44 was a son of JAD Quickshear Mitchell Q1 and Minnamurra 6Z Tori L122. The 738kg bull had a 39cm scrotal circumference and scanned 119sqcm for EMA and 7pc IMF.

Arley Farm, Maida Vale, WA, finished as the volume buyer, securing four bulls online through AuctionsPlus for $30,000 to average $7500.

Its draft comprised Minnamurra Vigorous V48 for $8000, Minnamurra Valkyrie V32 for $6000, Minnamurra Virgil V8 for $10,000 and Minnamurra Variety V27 for $6000.

Other interstate buyers included Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier, SA, at $6000; Patricia Dorigo, Mead, Victoria, at $7000; and Willybee Pastoral Pty Ltd, Wudinna, SA, at $6000.

NSW buyers included Ryan Fitzgerald, Torryburn, at $6000; GC and JA McCulloch, Moonbi, at $6000; and EM and SA Friend, Bagnoo, who secured two bulls for $6000 each.

Minnamurra Speckle Park director David Reid said the result was about where the operation had expected in the current market.

"I thought it was pretty much as we expected," Mr Reid said.

"I think it was a good average."

Mr Reid said the stud had been prepared to retain bulls if buyers did not meet them.

"We would have been happy to sell half and we exceeded that," he said.

"So, all in all, given the state of the Speckle Park market at the moment, I think it's a very good result."

Mr Reid said bulls remaining unsold would be retained for use in Minnamurra Speckle Park's commercial herd.

"We'll be keeping any that haven't been sold and putting them into our commercial herd," he said.

"We're that confident in the bulls that we put up today."

Minnamurra Speckle Park runs more than 3000 Speckle females in its commercial herd.

Mr Reid said he was particularly pleased the bulls had gone back into commercial operations across several states.

"A good part of these cattle have all gone back to very good commercial cattle operations," he said.

"That's what we're very pleased about."

Elders Tamworth auctioneer Brian Kennedy said the sale was an improvement on the previous year.

"It was much improved from last year's effort," Mr Kennedy said.

"The beauty of it is we had cattle go to at least four states. New buyers, everyone's happy."

The sale was conducted by Elders Tamworth, with online bidding through AuctionsPlus.