SIMMENTAL bulls rocketed to $20,000 highs at the annual Wormbete and Valley Creek Simmental sale at Illabo, NSW, last week as stud buyers from four states turned out to compete with a healthy commercial clientele.
In the wrap-up, 18 of 34 bulls were sold to $20,000 and averaged $4611, while seven of eight stud heifers topped at $6250, av $4250.
The top-priced bull was sold by Stuart Moeck and Samantha Gibson, Valley Creek Simmentals, Schofields, NSW, to Mark Vallender, Murrungully, Goulburn, NSW, who also took home Valley Creek's top heifer for $4500.
The bull was 20-month-old Valley Creek Joker, a poll sire by Valley Creek Harrach out of a Barana Felton female, with a low birth weight at +2.3, a 600-day growth figure of +30, positive carcase data to +1.6 for eye muscle area (EMA) and +0.4 for retail beef yield.
It was recently sashed reserve champion Simmental bull at the 2014 Royal Brisbane show.
The bull was sold on the understanding that Valley Creek stud would deliver him after they had shown it at Sydney Royal at the end of this month and gave the option for the buyers to show it at Beef 2015 at Rockhampton, Queensland.
Simpson and Simpson, Wagga Wagga, NSW, paid $8500 for the top bull from the Hopkins family's Wormbete stud, Illabo: Wormbete Junee J128, a polled son of Callendale Frank ALUPF 0110, with style, length, outlook, performance and a good balance of figures at +41 for 600-day growth, +2.6 for EMA and +0.3 intramuscular fat.
Fellow stud breeders Scott and Claire York, Billa Park Simmentals, Dulacca, Queensland, paid $6000 for a polled son of Wormbete General, described as a solid performer with a good balance of positive carcase data.
