Top price bull heads to SA following Bonnydale Black Simmental sale in Roma

The top-priced Bonnydale black Simmental bull is on his way to South Australia following the conclusion on the Western Australian stud's seventh annual Roma bull sale, held at the Roma saleyards on Wednesday, September 30.

Of the 58 bulls offered at this year's sale, 30 sold for a 52 per cent clearance, an average of $7067, and an overall sale gross of $212,000.

Post-sale, an additional three lots sold, to bring the clearance to 56pc for a $6970 average.

For comparison, in 2024, 47 of the 50 bulls on offer sold for a 94pc clearance rate, an $8532 average, and a $30,000 top.

The bulk buyer of the sale, Albany Pastoral Company, Albany Downs, Mitchell, purchased nine head for an average of $6778.

The top price bull, Bonnydale Quadrant W198, sold for $17,000 to Grantley Muller, Rellum Farms, Mount Gambier, South Australia.

The 20-month-old, 780 kilogram bull, sired by Rubys Quadrant 210K and out of Bonnydale Guava R147, recorded 4 millimetres of rump and rib fat, an eye muscle area of 120 square centimetres, 5.3pc of intramuscular fat, a scrotal circumference of 37cm and morphology of 93pc.

Buyer Grantley Muller said he had been breeding traditional Simmentals on his stud, Rellum Farms, for 33 years, and had recently introduced black Simmentals into his herd.

"I've always bred a few blacks, but in the last couple of years we've moved to breeding a few more black cattle," he said.

"I'm actually putting them over the traditional cows and starting to breed the blacks that way, not just buying black cows, because I've got some pretty handy traditional cows.

"I plan on running traditional and black Simmentals together to try and meet the market for selling some bulls and also females, so that they give me room to fit into the industry a bit more.

"I run about 70 to 80 stud cows."

Of his top price Bonnydale purchase, Mr Muller said he was the complete package, and that he'd had good results with Bonnydale bulls in the past.

"I bought one [bull] out of Queensland two years ago, and one out of Western Australia last year," he said.

"[The bull this year] it was probably just his overall look [that stood out].

"We had a look through the catalogue, and that bull probably had the best balance with still enough really good power in him.

"He's got reasonably good breed figures, and was probably just the best general balanced bull over the whole run of bulls."

Once he gets the bull down to South Australia, Mr Muller said he'd send him out for stud duties during the spring mating season.

"I put bulls out in the middle of November for that job," he said.

"He'll have time to settle in, and then he'll go in with probably 40 to 45 stud cows to continue the job on."

Bonnydale stud principal Rob Introvigne said this year's sale saw strong support from return buyers.

"We got some good clients that have been getting great results from our bulls, and we're thankful for their support over the years," he said.

"It was a shame there wasn't a few extra buyers to get the sale going a bit further, but it's getting a bit drier, and sooner or later we'll strike it right.

"It's something we want to keep coming over and bringing bulls over, and with Jake and Emma here in Queensland, we'll hopefully build the sale up."

Bulls at the sale were purchased by a wide spread of buyers, heading down south and across Queensland.

• Selling agents: Elders and GDL, interfaced with AuctionsPlus.